Morning Memo: Chace Crawford Digs Palin; Lydia Hearst Soldiers On; Lauren Conrad Becomes an Author

Chace Crawford is no East Coast elitist! The Gossip Girl star told reporters that Sarah Palin is "quite attractive" before refusing to "talk politics." [US Weekly]

Lydia Hearst is expected to continue with Fashion Week, despite being sent to the hospital for kidney stones on Tuesday. [P6] 

Reality show queen Lauren Conrad will be writing a series of three young adult novels for HarperCollins about "a girl who moves to LA and stars in a reality show." Hopefully the kids won't take it too seriously. [People] 

Mary-Kate Olsen is still dating artist Nate Lowman (not actor Jonah Hill, as had been reported). [NYDN] 

Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner has Amagansett's Citizens Advisory Board up in arms over his plans to clear thousands of square feet of native vegetation from his property to improve the view for a meditation tent. [P6] 

New York Post critic Lou Lumenick slapped Roger Ebert at the Toronto Film Festival, but apparently the whole thing was a misunderstanding. [NYDN]