Which city? New York, of course

NEW YORK -- Mikhail Baryshnikov told a weekend audience at The New Yorker Festival that when he was invited to play a role on "Sex and the City" he had two questions: "Which sex, and which city?" The dancer, among luminaries at the festival that ended Sunday, said until then, he had not seen the HBO series because he watched only news and golf on TV. So the producers sent him episodes to watch.

"I was kind of amused, and shocked," Baryshnikov said of the series, which ended last year. "At first I was watching it with my children. Then I said `Children, OUT!"'

Baryshnikov played self-involved artist Aleksandr, a love interest of Carrie Bradshaw, played by Sarah Jessica Parker.
The New Yorker Festival, in its sixth year, is three days of panel discussions, readings and musical performances.

On Saturday night, a festival benefit for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts featured Toni Morrison, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Kevin Kline, Willem Dafoe and lots of zydeco music.

Actress Patricia Clarkson read Tennessee Williams' letters from the French Quarter, New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin read an essay about the city's anything-goes attitude and actor Terrence Howard read a Mark Twain essay about New Orleans architecture. Woody Allen even played the clarinet with Eddy Davis and his New Orleans Jazz Band.

New Yorker editor David Remnick said many of the night's performers were still searching for relatives missing since the hurricane.

source: Chicago Tribune

That's So New York