At the 42nd Street Library

Last night I attended a big celebration at the main branch of the New York Public Library — the one with the two lions out front. As a party it was a bit of a dud: the noise level was horrendous, and the speeches (see extra) seemed interminable. But several of my oldest friends were there, and I met some interesting new people as well, so on the whole it was worth going. Plus it’s always kind of wonderful to be in the library after hours, when so many of the grand rooms are hauntingly empty.