| 100% | THEFLAME | 8 | & 22A 1959 autobiographical work by Elspeth Huxley subtitled Memories of an African Childhood (3,5,5,2,5 |
| 26% | SONGOFSOLOMON | 13 | 1977 novel by Toni Morrison which is about the life of an African-American man living in Michigan: 3 wds. |
| 25% | LUANDA | 6 | African city of 2.5+ million founded by the Portuguese |
| 25% | MEPHISTO | 8 | 1936 written work by Klaus Mann subtitled Novel of a Career |
| 23% | BARTLEBY | 8 | & 22A 1853 short story by Herman Melville subtitled A Story of Wall Street |
| 23% | TWOSISTERS | 10 | 1970 work by Gore Vidal subtitled A Novel in the Form of a Memoir |
| 22% | ANGORA | 6 | Kind of wool that differs by one letter from the name of an African country |
| 22% | HOME | 4 | 2012 novel by 43-Across about an African-American veteran of the Korean War |
| 22% | DEQUINCEY | 9 | Thomas —, author of 1821 autobiographical work Confessions of an English Opium Eater |
| 22% | CHRISTMASCAROL | 14 | "A ___," novella by Charles Dickens that deals with the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser: 2 wds. |
| 22% | FIBONACCI | 9 | Eponym of a number series that begins 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, ... |
| 21% | EMAILLIST | 9 | Collection of addresses used by an online marketer: 2 wds. |
| 21% | GEAR | 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 in a car, shifted by a stick |
| 21% | WHATSGOINGON | 12 | 1971 song of protest by Marvin Gaye that later became an anthem of change: 3 wds. |
| 20% | BIGYELLOWTAXI | 13 | 1970 song by Joni Mitchell that became an anthem of environmental conservation: 3 wds. |
| 20% | SHELOOKSSO | 10 | With 42-Across, 2014 debut single by 5 Seconds of Summer: 3 wds. |
| 20% | THEMANSION | 10 | 1959 novel by William Faulkner that is the last of the trilogy on the Snopes family: 2 wds. |
| 20% | DURBAN | 6 | South African city of 2.5+ million |
| 20% | OOHLALA | 7 | Song by Britney Spears in "Smurfs 2" which can also be used an exclamation: 3 wds. |
| 20% | ODDS | 4 | 3 : 1, 5 : 2, etc. |
| 20% | GNUDEAL | 7 | Purchase of an African antelope? |
| 20% | ADDIS | 5 | Start of an African capital |
| 20% | RUNNYBABBIT | 11 | Collection of rhyming spoonerisms subtitled "A Billy Sook" written by 39-Across (2 wds.) |
| 20% | NELSONMANDELA | 13 | South African president who became an honorary citizen of Canada in 2001: 2 wds. |
| 20% | ANGELAKINSEY | 12 | Cohost of 14-Across who played an accountant working for Dunder Mifflin: 2 wds. |
| 20% | ADVANCETEAMS | 12 | Groups that do prep work ahead of an event, and a directive followed by this puzzle's theme answers? |
| 20% | POISONIVY | 9 | 1959 Coasters hit with the lyric "You're gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion": 2 wds. |
| 20% | DIONNEWARWICK | 13 | "Walk On By" singer who was the Mouse on season 3 of "The Masked Singer": 2 wds. |
| 20% | LARKRISE | 8 | 1939 autobiographical work by Flora Thompson |