A spelling bee for famous authors. Good luck. Also newsworthy here, James Frey continues his claw-fingered climb back to respectability by continuing to get invited to things. “Motherfucker.” Ooh. I shiver. Nasty. He’s still got it. Somebody check him for crack!

Inside, C.L.M.P. executive director Jeffrey Lependorf circulated. Nelson’s nemesis Burham chatted with authors James Frey and Joseph O’Neill (who left before his wife, Vogue editor Sally Singer could display her prowess).

“The word I’m most familiar with is ‘motherfucker,’ and I don’t think they’ll give me that one,” mused Frey. But Frey was no dark horse, his publisher assured us. Burnham himself was worried about “the German words. Hassenpfeffer, especially.”

Fellow contestant Francine Prose walked up moments later. “The British always win,” she nodded to Burnham. “I hope they don’t use Hassenpfeffer this year,” she added.