Arianna, Nora Ephron, Erica Jong, Craig Newmark, Paul Reickhoff and Trey Ellis Discuss "The Year Ahead" at the 92nd Street Y

On Wednesday evening, Arianna joined an all-star panel of HuffPost bloggers at the 92nd Street Y to discuss "The Year Ahead" in politics, culture and media. The event, "The Huffington Post in Residence: The Year Ahead" was the first in a series of evenings organized through a new partnership between the 92nd Street Y and the Huffington Post. The panel included Erica Jong, Nora Ephron, Craig Newmark, Trey Ellis, and Paul Rieckhoff. Watch the highlights from the panel below or continue down the page for footage of the full panel:

Highlights:

Full panel discussion:

And here's more from the 92nd Street Y's 92Y blog.

Comments

[Sheri Bush]

I was one of the many in the crowd at the 92nd street YMCA (cue the Village People song with arm movements), and enjoyed the panel discussion.

I was motivated by Arianna & Erica with their family approach to blogging and politics. I was made aware of Arianna's 19 year old daughter in colllege, and how Erica is helping her daughter raise her 3 grandchildren, which left me feeling like a slacker for not getting my KarmaMom blog up and running earlier.

Both women were great examples of active mothering in a very creative venue of words and intellect for me.

Funny observation that someone else noted: Q &A turned into story time. OMG! people really need to be heard. If you give a mouse a microphone....

Or better yet, thanks Arianna, you gave them a place to blog & comment!

But when you sell your blogging book, couldn't you at least sign a few copies like Erica did? Oy...I breathed the same air in the auditorium and gave more than a buck.....but alas, no ink from your pen that evening. Dare I say Erica stayed to actually sign the books, AND she had pre-signed some!

Thanks for playing with life and sharing your stuff with the rest of us. We'll do the same!

[toocoldout]

Ariana is always so articulate and intelligent.

[Elaine Kavrakis]

I had the good fortune of attending....truly I agree with a previous posting you should have the entire panel discussion for viewing. There were so many thoughts, ideas, opinions and beliefs that were shared in real time that made the whole experience ever so insightful.

Thank you to all....and Craig Newman's hope your "Craigslist of Service" is realized sooner than later!

[miocid31]

I was at this event and believe the most memorable moments involved the commentaries from the audience. Come to think of it, I don't believe tthere was an actual question asked...but loved the panel...

[Kelley Bell-Wenzlaff - Huffpost Blogger]

My thanks to all, (to the audience and panel) for a wonderful evening of progressive ideas.

The video does not show it, but when Arianna opened the evening with "What a great day, the first full day of The Obama Administration." The crowd went wild. I loved that. I looked around the room at all the faces, recalling all the work that went into this victory: all the phone calls, the door knocking, the organizing...and felt as if this was the moment we all worked so hard to achieve.

Finally, after eight long frustrating years, we have earned a chance to put our ideas to work.

I particulary enjoyed Arianna's question about "teachable moments." The idea of writing stories for HuffPo about moving granny into The Whitehouse, or how the examples set by The Obama family will transform our culture are concepts that offer some wonderful writing material, which of course is the main reason I came.

On a side note: It was a true pleasure to chat with Erica Jong after the show. We had a great little discussion about cutural and ethnic barriers in the womens movement. I only wish more time was available for us to take our talk to a deeper level. (To anyone out there looking for a good read, this gal should be on the top of your list.)

Thanks again to everyone. It was lots of fun and I look forward to more.

[AngieMom57]

I want more! This was just too little a taste...

[Cuba5]

How many people were there? Was it broadcast on C-SPAN?

Why not make the entire video available?

How can those who spoke have any impact if hardly anyone hears them?

This is the mistake of progressives. They wonder why the country is so messed up and why no one listens to them... their audience is so small!

[Cuba5]

Five Minutes and forty one seconds?

[Dukedraven]

I really enjoyed the discussion, wished I had seen it in person. I disagree with the comment about Obama being a Zelig-like figure. That was very unflattering.

[coogrr4u]

Enjoyed that very much , Looking forward to more Huff TV posts, TY

[dahpunkster]

Wow I was there too! I traveled by Greyhound all the way from Youngstown Ohio and it was sure worth it ( First time in Nyc) Trey Ellis was funny.Erica Jong came in the front entrance and said hi to some of us that were waiting in line to get to our seats. I set next to a blogger on Huffpost named Kelly & I said hi to Nora Ephron's son and her husband. I would have like to have met Ariana and Paul Reikoff , but didn't see them come out.
These people make me laugh,cry and think and I wanted to see them all together, so I did .
It was a shame that Barbara E was sick (she wrote Nickel and Dimed) She was sorely missed.

[michyh]

why are there never any real people impacted by real problems in these things?

[lbcny]

what do you mean? I was there. Paul Rieckoff is very real, fought in Iraq and has been fighting for veterans ever since. Many of us audience members have real
problems too.