Wherever there are anniversaries to be celebrated, stories to be told and drinks to be had, we are there.

So when we got invited to the Moth’s tenth anniversary gala, we started rummaging around for a pair of tights. Actually, we had no tights, but it was strongly suggested that we not wear jeans. In a business suit, we were the only female guest in pants. The women took this “gala” stuff seriously. So there we were, inappropriately dressed and uncomfortable. Sigh.

The guests, long time contributors and fans of the Moth’s storytelling events, could have doubled for a Wesleyan class of 1990 reunion. And like any college reunion, most mingling was limited among former cliques, but everyone seemed happy to be among familiar faces.

One of the more recognizable faces of the night was Malcolm Gladwell. Either he recently got a trim or his hair was reacting to the late night showers, because the ‘fro was a bit small.

Gladwell was there for a story showdown with fellow New Yorker scribe, Adam Gopnik. The two have shared a stage a few times this year which has become what Gladwell described as a “fun” rivalry. Was he nervous before his performance? No. Eager to win? He described himself as an “11-year old before a Monopoly game.” Gladwell would be the Top Hat and Gopnik would be the Thimble.

As we chatted, he pointed out a bug scampering along the floor of the ballroom. That guy is observant.

He wouldn’t tell us what his new book will be about. We wondered if it had another one-word title, but there isn’t even a name yet. And so the suspense for the company Christmas gift of 2008 builds.

Despite his secrecy, Malcolm was very nice, though he admitted his success tends to give people the benefit of the doubt. While we had his ear, we asked for some book advice. It took him a while to come up with something, and he warned us that he reads a lot of academic stuff that might not be interesting. But we insisted. After all, a book recommendation from Malcolm Gladwell is like a tennis lesson from Roger Federer: valuable even if their skill level makes their advice meaningless.

But like so many lessons on our backhand, we forgot his recommendation. We think he suggested An Anatomy of Thought: The Origin and Machinery of the Mind, but we lost our notebook on the way out. Well, we got Blink in the gift bag, and we're sure Gladwell would recommend that, too.

After dinner and too many speeches, the New Yorker showdown was on.

Gladwell told a story from his Washington Post days filled with swear words and hand gestures. Apparently he used his position at the Post to try to score a free vacation to Sydney, Australia. Jayson Blair was never so resourceful. While he was there, he and fellow science scribe, William Booth, were so bored that they held contests to get tired phrases into the paper. Guess who won? Gladwell.

Up next was Gopnik, who recounted a tale about misreading LOL as Lots Of Love. The mistake led to some awkwardness when he wrote to a friend who had gotten a bad review “LOL.” ROFL. The story, all about connecting with his young son, had fewer LOLs than Gladwell’s. But old people love a good heart warming tale, at the end of the night, the showdown was called a tie.

But like parents loving their kids equally, ties are bullshit. The unofficial tie breaker was the silent auction, where Gladwell and Gopnik had both donated a meal. Gladwell’s lunch went for $900, $100 more than Gopnik’s dinner. Take that Thimble!