I learned two years ago that my great granduncle used to answer Santa's mail. For decades, letters that kids addressed to Santa Claus went to the post office's Dead Letter Office where they were eventually destroyed. But in 1913, my grandma's uncle -- an eccentric publicist and Christmas enthusiast named...

Many great writers have also been great drinkers and their advice around this habit will either want to make you keep going or will stop you forever. But do try not to spit out your scotch laughing at the wit. If you have more to contribute, let us know in...

With Baz Luhrmann ramping up for his adaptation of The Great Gatsby (potentially starring Leo DiCaprio and Blake Lively), it's a good time to offer him some examples of what not to do. Here are 10 of the most epic adaptation fails in the history of film.

Which...

The big story on The New York Times today is that parents are again urging children to ditch children's books. Sure, Where the Wild Things Are and Green Eggs and Ham may be beloved by generations of kids, but many parents are concerned that colorful pictures and imaginative...

Just a couple blocks west of Union Square, it was hard not to be curious to see a carnival barker bellowing through a megaphone on Tuesday evening outside of the TheaterLab event space, promising freaks and wonders for all who entered. Those who couldn't pass up such a chance headed...

Over his long and prolific writing career, Christopher Hitchens has targeted Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa, Princess Diana and God, but on Friday he tackled a potentially more challenging subject: himself. At an event hosted by the New York Public Library, Hitchens spoke with Paul Holdengraber, the director of public programs...

Which is the way the world will end: Nuclear holocaust, supercomputer takeover, or zombie army? Or maybe widespread closings of independent bookstores. The thrills and terrors of where our world is headed served as the subject for Thursday night's "Bleak Horizons: Dark Visions of the Future" panel discussion at powerHouse...

Taco lovers went toe-to-toe last night at Barrio Mexican restaurant. The Park Slope eatery hosted a hard-fought taco-eating contest in which the winner took home a $100 gift certificate.

The eight participants, each of whom paid $19 for the...

Produced by HuffPost's Local Citizen Reporting Team

Taco lovers went toe-to-toe last night at Barrio Mexican restaurant. The Park Slope eatery hosted a hard-fought taco-eating contest in which the winner took home a $100 gift certificate.

The eight participants, each of whom paid $19 for the...

Karl Rove has very few regrets. At an intense Q&A yesterday, the senior adviser to President George W. Bush defended the Administration on everything from the Iraq war, to campaign tactics, to its response to Hurricane Katrina. On the invasion of Iraq, Rove said that one of the...

Karl Rove has very few regrets. At an intense Q&A yesterday, the senior adviser to President George W. Bush defended the Administration on everything from the Iraq war, to rough campaign tactics, to its response to Hurricane Katrina. Rather than expressing regrets about the Iraq invasion, Rove said he only...

Produced by HuffPost's Local Citizen Reporting Team

Soon, New York's skyline is going to start looking a little different. Beginning today and continuing over the next two weeks, 31 life-sized statues will be placed on rooftops and sidewalks around the Flatiron District as part of Antony Gormley's Event Horizon...

New York's skyline is going to start looking a little different. Beginning today (March 9) and continuing over the next two weeks, 31 life-sized statues will be placed on rooftops and sidewalks around the Flatiron District as part of Antony Gormley's Event Horizon public art installation.

Produced by HuffPost's Eyes & Ears Citizen Journalism Unit

Brooklyn designers offered an unorthodox counterpoint to Fashion Week stuffiness at the Williamsburg Fashion Weekend on February 20-21. Held at the gritty Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, the event had models playing croquet, ripping layers of clothing off and...

Bestselling crime writer Henning Mankell has a few things his days can't be without.

"I would find it a miserable day if I go to bed without having really, really laughed once," said the author during an appearance at the 86th Street Barnes & Noble in Manhattan on Friday. "I'm...

Produced by HuffPost's Eyes & Ears Citizen Journalism Unit

There are a few things that bestselling crime writer Henning Mankell cannot live without.

"I would find it a miserable day if I go to bed without having really, really laughed once," said the author during an appearance at the...

A bad breakup can do a lot for one's creativity. On Thursday, Jonathan Ames emceed an Anti-Valentine's Day evening of stories, poetry and music celebrating heartbreak and the joy of emotional pain.

Ames opened the show, which took place at the powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn, with a rollicking story...

As publishers embrace social media, editors are finding that their own roles are quickly being redefined.

This was the topic of Tuesday's Social Media Week panel Networked News Gatherers: Defining the Social Media Editor Role. Taking place at the Time & Life Building in New York, the event brought together...

Who would have thought that a bunch of jokers could scrape together $10,000 for Haiti?

Surprising even those who planned the "I'm With Coco" Benefit for Haiti on Thursday night, that's just what happened as a group of New York's biggest comedians brought...