Julian Barnes and Lorrie Moore appeared together last night at the 92ndSt Y. Theoretically they were there to read from and promote their new books, The Only Story, a novel (Barnes) , and See What Can be Done (Moore), a collection of mostly-published essays. As seen in the attached photo, they are close: as correspondents of over 20 years, as reviewers of each others work (Barnes to Moore) and as friends. Barnes, with his sly wit, read from his very moving, very sad story of the affair of a much younger man with an older woman. Moore with her impeccable comic timing and deadpan asides read from a story about her wedding and honeymoon. Though love gone wrong was their joint theme, together their timing was spot on.

The new Nichols and May!