HOUSE
Re-visiting artist, sculptor Michele Oka Doner, interviewed by Sian and Lesley in her Soho loft, photographed by Jeff Hirsch. First published in August 2007.

ART SET
Charlie Scheips tours several art shows and exhibitions in New York this month that underscore how the impetus of love and passion for the arts and artists fuels the engines of civilization.

ACROSS THE WORLD
Charleston Social Diary. Ned Brown writes about Spring in charleston (first of two parts) and what draws so many visitors to see the city at this beautiful time of the year.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMiTH: Calling Dr. Streisand! ... More Tales of Burlesque.

SOCIAL DIARY
Warm Spring Days in New York. The Michael's Lunch with Jamee Gregory talking LA; plus American Friends of the Paris Opera & Ballet celebrate its 300th anniversary, in Paris; and down at the Cannes Film Festival Denise Rich hosts a dinner on her yacht for producers Michael Mailer and James Toback.

GUEST DIARY
No Holds Barred. Blair's second parter to her recent trip to the Big Town, taking in the fashions, and considering its why's, wherefore's and who's.

ACROSS THE WORLD
Washington Social Diary. Carol Joynt dines at Le Diplomate where all of Washington is hoping to get a table. Even the Presidential couple, the First Foodies of the town, may just visit. Plus a book party for Richard Haass at the Renwick Gallery, and a book party for Walter Cronkite IV, grandson of ...

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMiTH: Bette Midler and Martin von Haselberg — Two Great Talents, Married, Happy, Productive ... Weird, Witty, Crazy: The New "Iron Man" Blows Me Away ... Beautiful Authors at Literacy Gala ... Charles Busch, One Night Only in NYC!

SOCIAL DIARY
Very Warm For May. Privacy, who's taking it and who's giving it away. And who cares?

PARTY PICTURES
El Museo del Barrio's annual Gala; The National Academy's Spring Gala; The 79th Annual Drama League Awards; American Friends of the Louvre's Young Patrons Circle's sixth annual spring gala; Kravis Center, in West Palm Beach, held its annual salute.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMITH: Hold On To Your Ice Picks — Will There Be a "Basic Instinct 3"? ... Alan Cumming as Macbeth! Don't miss it ... Michael Jackson — Redeemed By Death — Financially, Anyway.

SOCIAL DIARY
Warm Spring day and night, jam-packed event calendar, last night's party at the Frick, a benefit at the 92nd Street Y; also, Alzheimer's reception at the Starks; honoring Tony Duke at Girls and Boys Harbor; and evoking the great Gilda Radner at the Gilda's Club Luncheon.

HOUSE
John Foreman confesses traitorous thoughts when "Big Old Houses" visits the iconic Gamble House in Pasadena, California.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMITH: At Long Last, a "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" Sequel ... Taylor Swift and Madonna — Blonde Ambition at the Billboard Awards ... Another Emmy for Laura Linney? ... Morgan Freeman's Magic Tricks ... Paul Anka Tells It "His" Way.

SOCIAL DIARY
Lovely, cool, sometimes rainy weekend in New York. Looking over last week's activities and the women in the news in New York.

PARTY PICTURES
The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center's Legacy of Conservation Gala; North Star Fund's annual Community Gala; Doubles club's 37th Anniversary; National Academy Foundation's annual Benefit; Silver Hill Hospital's first annual Young Professionals Fundraising Benefit.

ACROSS THE WORLD
San Francisco Social Diary. Jeanne Lawrence visits the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's exhibtion of China's Terra Cotta Warriors; visits the San Francisco Decorator Showcase preview party; and hits the Serge Sorokko Gallery for two stunning exhibitions by Hunt Slonem and Isabelle de Borchgrave.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMiTH: Burlesque Laid Bare in Revealing New Book ... How Will The Weekly Tabloid Magazines Treat Angie and Brad  Now? ... Please Open the Bidding for Ms. Gloria Steinem!

SOCIAL DIARY
The high energy Spring social season continues with a couple of Clintons present; plus New York loses one of its iconic characters of the city's post-modern cultural history, Taylor Mead, remembered by an obit in the Telegraph of London.

PARTY PICTURES
American Ballet Theatre's Opening Night Spring Gala; UJA-Federation of New York's annual Real Estate Luncheon; Madison Square Boys & Girls Club's first annual Youth of the Year Gala; The Children's Storefront's 7th Annual Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament; The Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services celebrated its Spring Benefit.

HOUSE
Sian, Lesley, and JH visit Suzy Slesin of Pointed Leaf Press in her Chinatown apartment with a view.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMiTH: Sweet New York Charity ... Sweet "Home" Reese Witherspoon ... Dueling "Star Trek" Reviews.

ACROSS THE WORLD
Washington Social Diary. Carol Joynt goes to Washington, Virginia for Mother's Day weekend where the buttercups were in bloom and you could only think ... what a heavenly way to spend a weekend.

ART SET
It's been an another Art Week in New York and one night Charlie Scheips took in the Koons opening at David Zwirner as well as the hugely successful (and interesting) dinner for the Tate at the old James Farley Post Office building.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMITH: Wrapped up in Liberace ... Angelina & Leo — heroes!
A look at networks and HBO ... Actors Actors Actors.

SHOPPING DIARY
Graduate with DVF from What2WearWhere.

SOCIAL DIARY
Kardashians and Lisa Perry at the Met Costume Ball; last night's lecture at Roosevelt House by David Stockman, author of the new bestselling "The Great Deformation"; Lenox Hill Hospital's Give And Take Luncheon, The African Rainforest Alliance honors Tom McGrath, and the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance held a benefit at Chelsea Piers.

PARTY PICTURES
Orchestra of St. Luke's annual Gift of Music gala; The Boys' Club of New York Honors Leaders at the Annual Awards Dinner; The Animal Medical Center's Fifth Annual Living Legends Luncheon; The New York Women's Foundation's 26th annual Celebrating Women Breakfast; Project Sunshine's Tenth Annual Project Sunshine Benefit.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMITH: Mick's size victory! ... Art & Literature attract celebs ... No Baldwin in Normal Heart ... Angela down under.

SOCIAL DIARY
Chilly days for mid-May. Last night at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, ABT's annual Spring Gala ballet performance followed by a dinner dance in Damrosch Park; plus Ann Nitze's annual spring terrace lunch, and Bill and Maria Eugenia Haseltine's book party for Stephanie Stokes.

HOUSE
"Big Old Houses" remains in Pasadena this week, where John Foreman grapples  with the concept of "necessary evil" at the Cravens Estate.

GUEST DIARY
LIZ SMITH: Blow That Jazz Trumpet for "The Girls In The Band" ... A Vibrant Liza Minnelli Conquers New Jersey's Historic State Theater.