New York City has a long, long history of great writers and today we celebrate what would have been the 150th birthday of one of its greatest: Edith Wharton. Born on 23rd Street in 1862, Wharton (nee Edith Newbold Jones) was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and, along with her friend Henry James, remains one of the best Old New York writers going. A wicked, wicked writer whose style and settings, as the Times pointed out this weekend, are currently enjoying a renaissance thanks to a little something called Downton Abbey, is definitely worth revisiting. more ›

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BENEFIT: Tonight catch a special performance by Alanis Morissette, while rubbing elbows with Matt Dillon...all for a good cause! The inaugural fundraising benefit for the Adrienne Shelly Foundation will be held this evening, and you can get in with a ticket from $150 to...well, $10,000 bucks. You'll be supporting the late Shelly's foundation which "supports the artistic achievements of female actors, writers and directors through a series of scholarships and grants." 6pm // Skirball Center... more ›

This weekend Kanye West's mother (and manager), Dr. Donda West, died after surgery - which the BBC is reporting was cosmetic (UPDATE: she was warned prior to getting the surgery). West was very close with his 58-year-old mother, often speaking publicly about their bond and even writing a song for her. Just this summer the two were at Borders to promote her new book, Raising Kanye. Kanye was in London when told of the death,... more ›

Lea Thau, Director, The Moth more ›

Sue Sena, S.W.i.S.H. Founder more ›

Liz Penn, Writer/TV Critic more ›

Paul Ford more ›

Tonight at 6:30PM, the Walter Reade Theater is showing Martin Scorsese's wrenching film, of The Age of Innocence. Edith Wharton's novel about society, class, and love found (what was then) a suprisingly faithful and sumptuousadaptation from Scorsese and screenwriter Jay Cocks. Gothamist likes the title credit sequence by Saul Bass and Elaine Bass that sums up the passion of the film: Flowers blooming in high speed, with lace ghosted over them. Even after ten years, we still remember it. more ›

Hellfire and damnation, Michiko Kakutani reviews Candace Bushnell's new book, Trading Up. As Elle "Legally Blonde" Woods. No joke. Kakutani, as Elle, writes a memo to the book's main character, Janey Wilcox: more ›