Ev 1554 : Absolutely Nothing By Kruger

[professorplum13]

Wordplay in each of fifteen clues yields an extra letter that is not entered in the grid. In clue order, these letters give the start of a quotation from a poem (in ODQ and associated with ABSOLUTELY NOTHING) and the initials of its source. The third line of this quotation suggests how twelve answers are to be thematically treated before entry. Lengths in brackets refer to grid entries while word counts refer to original answers.
14a It's partly about spectacular timing of Pope's flexible band. For the grid entry i have M??RAL but if it's thematic the original answer will be longer....
7d Silent unarmed person possibly gives up acting and lead in play ...i have MU?? is it's MUTE..how does that work.
If mute is correct then 14a is M?TRAL

[ProfessorMaisie]

14 is in the clue (reversed)
7 'amputee' minus 2 letters

[ProfessorMaisie]

...7 has an extra 'e' in the clue as well.

[professorplum13]

Thank you

[tedsgran]

I have a full grid ... i could see what had to be removed from the 12 thematics without knowing the quote....
my extra letters don't make much sense , so i expect some are wrong...
B U T ..E..T R U E A L OV A S R

[elliemay1]

Just a guess 'True love runs deep'

[ProfessorMaisie]

'But true love is...' the initials at the end should be WR

[ProfessorMaisie]

...he's better known for things other than poetry.

[tedsgran]

thanks ProfessorMaisie....where did the W come from please?

[ProfessorMaisie]

In 30d - 'people in general' = (W)e + THE

[ProfessorMaisie]

sorry, (w)E + THE

[tedsgran]

Thanks again

[Brownbelle]

I am stuck on 24d. Have vi?ram HELP..... Not even sure which category of clue it is.....

[Neveracrossword]

Vibram. I'm out, so can't look at my copy- I think that was the answer!

[Brownbelle]

Many thanks. Had considered vibram but dismissed it as it's a trade name. Persistence,and a willingness to let go of via as first 3letters, would have shown it to fit the clue perfectly.