As the "stars" of the NYPL are writers, documentary makers and cultural leaders, known more for their words than their faces, they can be a little tougher to recognize than your average pop star. Mindful of this, the NYPL had thoughtfully provided medals for the honored guests so that the reporters would know who they were talking to. 

At the pre-dinner VIP drinks, library president Paul LeClerc spoke movingly about the library to a crowd that included Toni Morrison, documentarian Ken Burns, David Dinkins, Jonathan Franzen and Martha Stewart. 

We asked for a word with Mr. Dinkins, who agreed but not before "Bill has taken his photographs"--referring to Times photographer Bill Cunningham. Mr. Dinkins had been honored in Mr. LeClerc's speech for his decision to keep the library open six days a week in the depths of the 1970's recession.

The former mayor told us, "It cost us $47 million dollars, if I remember right, and it's one of the things I'm most proud of." What will be on his reading list this summer?

"I'm looking forward to writing a book on my life. That's a long period of time. I was born in 1927. We're hard at work. I don't know that we'll finish it, but we're well on the way."

Fran Lebowitz appeared at the table with Mr. Dinkins and Ms. Morrison. Ms. Morrison fingered Fran's NYPL medal and told her that she wanted one. "Well, you've already got a Pulitzer Prize, so you can't have one," said Ms. Lebowitz teasingly.

Martha Stewart, who is taller in person than she looks on TV and was wearing a checked coat with a satin and pearl necklace, said of her summer reading, "I'm still reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, which I should have finished by now, but I haven't. I have piles of biography and garden books to read. I hope I find the time." 

Chris Tomson, drummer of the band Vampire Weekend, was featured in the centennial book, a collection of essays by luiminaries about their favorite item from the NYPL's collections, was there with his girlfriend, Megan. "This is a little out of my context," he admitted. 

We caught up with Mr. Franzen on the way up the stairs to the Rose Main Reading Room, where the rededication ceremony was due to take place. Mr. Franzen was one of the earliest honorees to arrive--"6:37. I wanted you all to see that."

Mr. Franzen thought that this might be the summer to read all seven volumes of Proust.

"I'm told the last three volumes are the best. You think you loved it even though you wimped out after barely three volumes. You didn't actually get the great stuff," he said with the air of a man who reads volumes of literature the way some people sip a cappucino.

Click here for the week's best parties.

He asked The Observer if we'd ever read Proust. We lied and said we'd started but never finished.

"Well, everyone says that Swann's Way is the best but it's not the best. In fact, it gets better, but not before it gets slower."

At the rededication ceremony, a roll call of New York's who's who walked down the aisle in the center of the Rose Main Reading Room. Barbara Walters was the mistress of ceremonies and illustrious authors from Frank Rich to Robert Caro paid tribute to "a great treasure house of history."

Centennial book contributor Uzodinma Iweala revealed some of the lesser known uses of the library. "I used to come here mostly to fall asleep and be woken up by the security guards and I've gone on no fewer than four dates with people I've met here." Dinner in the Edna Barnes Saloman Room was a rare treat; guests feasted on lobster salad, sliced filet of beef and lime-marinated chicken, which was passed family-style around the tables. Enormous green and white arrangements of mini-rhododendrons completed the setting; guests laughed and drank under the watchful eyes of portraits of former benefactors of the library, including one of Vincent Astor (also known as the late Brooke Astor's husband) in his naval uniform.

Doug Bernstein was the creative consultant for the party and the perfect dinner companion. As the party wound to a close, guests exited the building to see the library completely illuminated for the first time in its history. A trustee hugged the gray Lego lions that had been created for the party--we knew just how she felt. --Daisy Prince

But, throughout that time, Walcott was not a major campaign contributor to city campaigns--something that speaks to his ability not to get bogged down in the pay-to-play access that sometimes bedevils those seeking to influence lawmakers.

According to records on the city Campaign Finance Board web site, Walcott donated $1,410 to city candidates between 1989 and 2001--which pales in comparison to the contributions made by his predecessor, Cathie Black.

Almost all of Walcott's contributions were to David Dinkins, with no contributions to state nor federal candidates. Walcott hasn't made a contribution since joining the Bloomberg administration.

Walcott's campaign contributions:

$100 on 7/16/1986 to David Dinkins mayor

$35 on 7/14/1987 to David Dinkins mayor

$50 on 8/3/1989 to David Dinkins mayor

$50 on 10/25/1989 to Virginia Fields for City Council

$25 on 10/27/1989 to David Dinkins mayor

$1,000 on 5/1/1992 to David Dinkins for mayor

$50 on 4/19/1993 to David Dinkins for mayor

$100 on 8/18/2001 to Helen Marshall for borough president

"I'm a New Yorker who supports marriage equality" Koch says. "Join me as a New Yorker for marriage equality," Dinkins says in his video.

The phrases I've often heard in this debate -  "same-sex marriage" and "gay" - aren't heard in either video, which, I think, says something about how the issue is being framed.

Brian Ellner, the senior strategist for HRC's Campaign for New York Marriage, emailed me to explain the language the group is employing:

" 'Gay marriage' is the media's way of short-cutting the concept. We're not looking to create a separate institution. Committed gay and lesbian couples - many of whom have been together for decades - are looking to join and strengthen the institution of marriage with the same rights and responsibilities as everyone else.

"(We're not asking for something different or other or lesser but seeking to participate in marriage with the same rules, responsibilities and protections. This is about ending an exclusion.)"

But it is important, it is so very important, particularly for the people of this district who vote on Tuesday to recognize how important it is to understand that the city is changing. Most people in the city are going to look more like us than others and that's just a fact. It is not a bad thing. It is frankly a good thing.

Espaillat was the first Dominican elected to the state Assembly, and his primary opponent, Mark Levine, is white. The seat they are vying for covers most of the mostly Dominican Washington Heights, but has been represented for years by Eric Schneiderman.

Now Levine is out with a statement accusing Dinkins, and by extension, Espaillat, of playing the race card, and knocking Espaillat for holding the endorsement on Rosh Hashanah, a day when most city campaigns go dark:

"Mayor David Dinkins has always been a unifying force in our city, he has brought people together from various diverse backgrounds throughout his political career. He is unquestionably a man of honor and integrity.  Today, I read his comments with dismay and disappointment.  The fact that they were delivered on the first day of Rosh Hashana added to their inappropriateness.  This race for State Senate, like all political campaigns, should be about the qualifications of the candidates and the policies that each of us puts forward, not about our appearance, ethnicity or religion. This is the standard I have always applied in politics, including when I was proud to cast my vote for Mayor Dinkins himself.  I call on my opponent, Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat to repudiate these comments immediately as they are insulting to the district and the electorate we are both vying to serve."

One final item of note here: It's odd that this statement comes over the transom now, a couple of days after the comments were made.

I grew up in Harlem where we taught that New York City is a melting pot. Well I don't agree with that. I have always said that we are a gorgeous mosaic. We have as many separate ethnic identities as the United Nations. That's why we have a parade about every hour and a half. But it is important, it is so very important, particularly for the people of this district who vote on Tuesday to recognize how important it is to understand that the city is changing. Most people in the city are going to look more like us than others and that's just a fact. It is not a bad thing. It is frankly a good thing.

The district that Espaillat is vying for covers parts of the Upper West and most of Washington Heights, but for years has been represented by Eric Schneiderman. Espaillat was the first Dominican elected to the state Assembly. His opponent, Mark Levine, is white.

Dinkins also seemed to allude to incident last month when he flipped off a heckler at a Charlie Rangel fundraiser, saying, "Now that I am no longer in office, frankly, I go where want, I do what I want, I say what I want."

It was a little bit odd to do the endorsement today since today is a Jewish holiday and even non-Jewish candidates have often treated it as a day off from the campaign trail in a mutual non-agression pact kind of a way.

"I am pleased to endorse Eric Schneiderman, a man of principle and integrity, and a progressive leader for many years. Eric will be an excellent Attorney General who will work hard to ensure equal justice for all New Yorkers," Dinkins said in a release from the campaign.

The endorsements come after a tough week for Schneiderman last week, one which saw him deal with allegations that he was in a hit-and-run car accident and that he announced that he raised less money than fellow AG hopeful Kathleen Rice.

Schneiderman is far in the lead in the race for institutional and political support, which his campaign hopes will be enough for victory in a low-turnout primary that's likely to feature mostly triple-prime, downstate voters. His opponents meanwhile, are using every endorsement Schneiderman receives to label him a "political insider."

dfreedlander@observer.com

The Post feels it has prompted a carding crackdown. [NYP]

James Dolan writes country songs that target his enemies. [NYT]

Emergency rooms crowded in the wake of the St. Vincent's closing. [WSJ]

Candace Bushnell's got two more books coming. [AP]

Well, Dave Dinkins likes Obama, for one. [NYDN] 

Linda Stein, celebrity realtor, gets a celebrity biographer. [NYP] 

WTC construction site has a mobile Subway sandwich pod. [NYT]

Someone's loose in Prospect Park with a bow and arrow? [BrooklynPaper]

Estades will be the "campaign coordinator," Powell told me.

Estades first day is on the job is Monday.

On Saturday, Powell is expected to attend the afternoon meeting of the West Harlem Independent Democrats.

Now, on his web site, Monserrate features not only a picture of former Mayor David Dinkins--who has not endorsed anyone in this race--but also a two-year-old campaign video featuring Bryan Pu-Folkes, a local activist who no longer supports Monserrate.

I have a call into Dinkins' office for comment.

Pu-Folkes' campaign manager said they did not authorize the current use of Pu-Folkes' comments in the latest video, and were set to issue a press release criticizing Monserrate for it.

UPDATE: Pu-Folkes is out with a statement saying Monserrate isn't fit for office. 

 

"In light of multiple transgressions, Hiram Monserrate is not in a position to effectively and honorably represent our communities.    We are facing an unprecedented fiscal and ethical crisis in Albany and we need leaders who will be the solution and not part of the problem," Pu-Folkes said.

"If it doesn't work out, I'm going to go on The View. They need a little affirmative action on The View," Paterson said to laughs, according to one attendee. Sherri Shepherd, one of the morning talk-show's co-hosts was at the 24 Fifth Avenue event, and Whoopi Goldberg was scheduled to attend but was caught in the storm.

Somewhere between 200 and 300 people did show up, according to conversations with attendees and Tracy Sefl, Paterson's campaign spokeswoman. The venue was cozy and entertainment was provided by a jazz trio as waiters passed hors d'oeuvres of smoked salmon. The crowd included Councilwoman Inez Dickens, lobbyists Patricia Lynch and Brian Meara and gossip columnist Cindy Adams, as well as the first lady, Michelle Paige Paterson, and the governor's father. The minimum ticket price was $1,000.

Former New York mayor David Dinkins spoke in praise of the Paterson—Dinkins has known the governor since he was a boy—before Jay Jacobs, the chair of the Democratic State Committee, offered a metaphor about politics being like driving: You go forward when your car is in 'D,' not 'R.'

The event came on the same day as a speech by Paterson on Wall Street, where he praised the financial institutions as "the engine of our economy." Paterson's remarks touched on the need to cut spending while allowing Wall Street to flourish. Two attendees told me they got the sense Paterson was catering, "definitely trying to raise from downtown interests"; he has made a point in recent months to reach out to them as his relationships with some labor unions have grown tense.

"The governor and his entire team are proud of the event, the enthusiasm for the governor and the money raised," said Sefl. "It was a quickly paced, fun holiday season event in a beautiful space—just the way our supporters like it.  And it was exactly the type of simple event the governor thinks is appropriate in this climate."

She did not provide a firm figure. One attendee told me they heard someone spinning $2 million as the take. This struck others as incredibly high. After the main reception, V.I.P. supporters followed Paterson to a Champagne toast at a nearby club. Raising money is crucial if Paterson stays in the governor's race, which is generally expected and which Jacobs has said privately.

The sense is this might be too little too late. A filing in July showed he was outraised by Andrew Cuomo, his presumptive rival for the governorship. (Cuomo has repeatedly said publicly that his only plan "at this time" is to run for reelection as attorney general.)

"The general sense was that people liked the speech, but is there enough time?" said one attendee. "If you run a three-mile race, and you run the first mile in 12 minutes, you've got a lot of catching up to do."

Paterson acknowledges he's got a lot of ground to make up and tamps down expectations. He was asked Wednesday by NY1's Josh Robin if his tough stance on the budget—which have angered unions and other special interest groups—will hurt his fund-raising efforts.

"Really because we've had so many special sessions, I haven't really had much of an opportunity to solicit campaign donations," Paterson said. "I think most of my campaign fund-raising will occur next year, because of the worst—I've had to cancel over 20 events, because we've had so many special sessions and time in Albany. So I wouldn't know."