Cecily von Ziegesar may be the first author to write a parody of her own book. Unless this is a clever joke (in which case, you sold me!) GOSSIP GIRL: PSYCHO KILLER, out in October, will layer a serial-killing element over the plots of Manhattan teenagers getting drunk without parental supervision:

“New characters are brought in for the sake of dying,” [says the author]. “I did want this novel to be original, though it’s funny in that the first novel was very loosely based on THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, so in a way this is a mashup of a mashup.”

Sweet. Incidentally on Monday I watched my first "Gossip Girl" episode in at least a year and a half (I can see your rolling eyes and verily I do not care). Two characters were competing for attention as interns at W and one was going to bring Lorrie Moore in -- they even showed her phone number, which must have been fake because she lives in Wisconsin so would have no reason to have a 212- prefix. Instead Jay McInerney made his second appearance on the show for an event whose purpose I couldn't quite follow, not after two gimlets anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed all this, and my roommates were disgusted.