Michel Witmer

"Patrick, can we take a picture?" said a voice in the crowd encircling Patrick McMullan as he autographed copies of his new book, KISS KISS, a pictorial history of the glitterati locking lips.

"Yes. I can dish it out, but I can take it," Mr. McMullan said, looping an arm around the admiring guest. "A lot of photographers, they can't take it, but I can."

Last week's party was at the transgenderly named new bar-restaurant PRE:POST. Its owner, Carlo Seneca, laid out his vision. "We want a high-end clientele. We want to be open 'til like 8 in the morning, serving food. Whoever it is picks up a score by 4 a.m., come back here, start drinking, score again."

Well, score! Art dealer Michel Witmer sat with John Paulus, who last month claimed in the press that he had very adult encounter with American Idol funboy Clay Aiken in a Quality Inn. Mr. Paulus was, for once, tight-lipped. "Journalism is a nasty business," said the charming Mr. Witmer. His family has owned The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other papers for "150 years," he said. "There are lawsuits all the time."  read more »