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[JBW123]

4D Start of century to fuel up inspiration (4) c?i?
19A On Monday, a model friend to louche genius (4) s?r?

[baitress]

4d - clio. c + oil backwards. Clio is a muse of inspiration.

[JBW123]

Thank you

[Spaghetti]

Good Morning, JBW123. Like you, I am left with just 19A. Have you had any inspiration since you posted this question?

[JBW123]

Baffled. Someone else has posted the 19A query this morning, but, again, no responses.

[Spaghetti]

I've discovered a character called Sara Monday in a novel called Herself Surprised by Joyce Carey (1941). But nothing I've read so far indicates who the 'louche genius' was. I'll keep looking!

[Spaghetti]

Apparently Sara Monday is the lover for a time of an artist called Gulley Jimson, for whom I assume she also acted as a model. It's all good enough for me!

[JBW123]

Brilliant. I read Cary's The Horse's Mouth when I was a student, and Jimson was certainly a louche genius. I don't remember Sara Monday, but Googling indicates that she fits the bill as model friend (and ex-wife) in the series of novels. Thanks for the answer.