Made famous to us plebeians not by the names littering the social registry and its many sad suck-ups (an aside: ahem, our rent is due soon, bitches), but by the much-missed former SF Weekly's "Dog Bites" columnist Laurel Wellman, Nob Hill Gazette just landed another beloved local writer, former Chronicle society scribe Catherine Bigelow.
She starts today as the top-drawer publication's shiny new Deputy Editor & Society Columnist, working alongside longtime Editor Merla Zellerbach. An interesting side note: Bigelow tells us that "after being invited to take a buyout at the Hearst-owned Chronicle," her new gig at the Gazette is located in the historic Hearst Building on Third and Market Streets. (You can run, Catherine, but you can never really escape the Hearst machine!)
And the best part? Rumor has it she will bring back her "Swells" column -- or at least a variation thereof, minus the "Swells" name, of course -- come October. (Yay, more work for you, Rita!)
Needless to say, we are thrilled. We can't wait to see all of the parties, the SF "it" girls' curiously sweaty faces, and inspiring and not-at-all altruistic philanthropic events. Lord knows we'll never snag an invite to one of those open-bar society fuckfests. Alas.
Anyway, way to go, Catherine.

Week Around the Ists


Glad that you're "trilled" about a new society rag that panders to rich people. How exciting.
oh but of course! we should all be lucky enough to press our lips to the hems of their gowns as they pass us by.
also, it's been around since 1978.
Correction: I meant new column in a society rag. And maybe if you're lucky, you'll someday end up in the mergers and acquisitions column! That would be neat.
Dede scares the beejesus out of me. Have you read Oh the Glory of It All ...shudder.
Hazaa! Catherine is one classy dame. I can't wait to see what she does with the NHG. Rock on C-Big!
Guest #4, I did read that, and his Mom's book, "Oh the Hell of it All," turned me off Ms. Wilsey even further.
I actually enjoyed Pat Montandon's take on the situation more than Sean Wilsey's. "Hell," was un-put-down-able.
i loved pat's book just as much as sean's. but what i want to know is if pat's old how-to book, "How To Be A Party Girl," is in print anywhere? i've been dying to read that for years.
Brock: There are four copies of How to be a Party Girl on ABEbooks.com -- the cheapest is $75, the most expensive is $199!
In other news, can I just say that Laurel Wellman is a total fucking genius? Where is she? Why did she leave us in our hour of need?
That much? Jesus. Christ.
Wellman, I believe, went back to her homeland in Canada. Somewhere.
I went to Pat's reading of "Oh The Hell Of It All." Sean was there. It was very interesting to get a first hand look at the mother son relationship dynamic. It was really cool because a bunch of the people from Sean's book and Pat's book were there. Including the crazy shrink and the adopted daughter.
Dede's a bitch. Al Wilsey was a horse's ass. Pat's a nut. Sean was lucky to come out as normal as he did.
"How to Be a Party Girl" is available at the SF library--that's how I read it. It's pretty good, but not nearly as awesome as her other book "The Intruders." That's a MUST read.