A dishy note by San Francisco's P.J. Corkery on the magazine's excerpt from Sean Wilsey's new memoir:

In the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel, that lovely hostelry that's sheltered many an editor and writer, I learn that apparently everyone in San Francisco is talking about the current issue of The New Yorker, which contains a memoir by Sean Wilsey, the son of Pat Montandon and the late Al Wilsey. Pat and her husband and son may have been somewhat witless (though Sean's piece contains some brave reporting), but they have been the occasions of wit. … Sitting here at the Algonquin's famous round table, I remember that Pat Montandon once gave a lunch for San Francisco ladies in which each woman was asked to describe the most awful moment she had ever lived through. Round the round table they went, discoursing on divorce, mayhem, humiliations great and puny. When they reached the last woman, she said, "The most awful moment I've ever lived through? Well, that would be this one right now." And she got up and left. …

By the way, I just noticed that Todd Pruzan, this issue's star reporter (not to be confused with Flash ace Brenda Starr—whose sassy creator, Dale Messick, is remembered in a hilarious Times obit today), contributed to those holy grails for McSweeney's fans, issues #1 and #2. He also acted as deputy editor. Along with Wilsey, that makes for a notable eggersian presence in the current issue; this is bound to happen pretty often from now on. With results like these, I'm not complaining.

‘I happen to like New York' [SF Examiner]
Dale Messick: A Comic Strip Life [Animation World]