Ever wonder how those cute-sy anecdotal stories that run in The New Yorker's "Talk of the Town" get published? Let us show you.

From the August 6 issue:
"On The Docket: Hey, La-a-a-dies!," by Lauren Collins
The story: "The other night – nite? – Den Hollander was maneuvering his way past a maroon rope that marked the entrance to LQ, a dance club in midtown. It was a Salsa Wednesday: five bucks for ladies, ten for gents. Den Hollander shelled out and went inside, where he cruised the pink-lit periphery of a dance floor, sparsely populated with winkled couples practicing whirls."

How the article originated: Lauren Collins was with some girlfriends at LQ, a dance club in midtown, on a Salsa Wednesday, where ladies were receiving discounts. It dawned on Lauren that, "Hey, that seems unfair."

From the August 20 issue (this week's):
"Early Birds: Tween Dream," by Michael Schulman
The story: "At 6 A.M. one recent Thursday, a barista at a Times Square Starbucks was puzzled to see dozens of teen-age girls streaming past the window, many of them carrying homemade signs. They had come, a customer explained, to see the cast of 'High School Musical' perform on 'Good Morning America.' The blue-eyed boy whose face was pasted on the placards was the film's nineteen-year-old star, Zac Efron."

How the article originated: Michael Schulman was at a Times Square Starbucks one recent Thursday, at 6 A.M., and happened to see dozens of teen-age girls streaming past the window carrying gushy messages meant for Zac Efron. Thought Michael: "This is silly. It also has 'Talk of the Town' written all over it."

See how that's done?