Original Article on The New York Observer

After a few glasses of midday white wine in the lounge of the Brook Club, The Observer walked into the third floor dining room and found ourselves seated next to Gay Talese. We had seen him on a few lucky occasions over the past 12 monthsthe last night of Elaines, the Norman Mailer gala, etc.and this most recent instance, Chuck Pfeifers annual Christmas luncheon, was hardly a surprise. Look at you, Mr. Talese said to us as we sat down. The only guy in the room without a tie, and the best-looking guy in the room! (Mr. Talese, of course, was clad in not only a tie, but a great one, and a waistcoat.) Crab cakes (as ever) arrived and we dispatched with them as James Woods and Jay McInerney gave saucy toasts to Mr. Pfeifer, a New York survivor. ...(read more)