The Observer staff with Chuck Close. (Photo: Patrick McMullan)

Early on at the Observer's 25th anniversary party at the Four Seasons Restaurant on Thursday night, we had a brief encounter with New York Times media columnist David Carr.

We told him nervously how much we like his work. We added that we hadn't read his memoir, The Night of the Gun, in which he reports -- like a good journalist -- on his drug-addicted past. But, we told him, we thought it was an interesting way to write a book.

He replied, dryly: "Yeah, it's a nice gimmick, isn't it?"

Yes, we thought, it is.

***

Briefly on Thursday evening we chatted with Audrey Gelman, the press secretary for Scott Stringer who is friends with Lena Dunham and has made a few appearances on Girls.

Ms. Gelman told us that Ms. Dunham enjoys the illustrations featured in our weekly Girls column, posted online.

She added, however, that Ms. Dunham doesn't read it.

***

Toward the end of the night, the staff of the Observer  -- or what was left of us, anyway -- posed in a group photo with Chuck Close.

The commanding party photographer Patrick McMullan arranged the shot and snapped a few before he lost our attention.

"Alright, now all the circumcised men!" Mr. McMullan yelled.

"Not me," Mr. Close said.