Memo Pad: Goodbye and Hello... Only in New York... Nicole and Annie

On the editorial side, O'Brien said Interview just signed up humor producer-director David Steinberg as comedy editor, and will hire a society editor, but did not reveal a name. The team is at work on the May issue and a special issue in June, but the September issue is when a full redesign will be unveiled. The team also has plans to redesign Art + America. Meanwhile, The Magazine Antiques welcomed an expat from House & Garden — executive editor Elizabeth Pochoda — as its new editor. She started at the title last week. — Stephanie D. Smith and Amy Wicks

ONLY IN NEW YORK: With Los Angeles' Oscar parties having been diminished, and Entertainment Weekly having ceded its traditional viewing spot at Elaine's, New York magazine had a relatively open field for its third annual Oscar party at The Spotted Pig. There were famous-for-media types (among them, James Truman, tight-lipped about the vague rumors of his plans to reenter media), the New York party standbys (Alan Cumming, anyone?) and some of the television stars normally seen at Elaine's.

Among them were Gbenga Akinnagbe of "The Wire" and Gaius Charles of "Friday Night Lights," who are currently costarring in "Lower Ninth" off Broadway. They have critically acclaimed shows in common, but Charles said they seem to have different fan bases. "We'll walk down the street together, and black people will run up to Gbenga and yell, 'Yo! "The Wire!" "The Wire!" "The Wire!"'" said Charles, and not recognize him. "But white people will yell, 'Yo, Smash! "Friday Night Lights!" I love that show!'" and not recognize Akinnagbe, he added.

Lauren Ambrose, Diane Neal of "Law & Order: SVU" and Eddie Izzard also lingered. New York's film critic, David Edelstein, typed into his laptop on a stool in the center of the room upstairs, politely refusing drinks and wondering if he was in for an awkward moment with an actor whose work he'd negatively reviewed. "If they get a good review, it's a judgment from on high and they don't remember the writer's name," he said. "A bad review and they're asking, 'Who's that a--hole?' They always remember." — Irin Carmon and S.D.S.