At 82 years young, legendary society chronicler Liz Smith will soon be receding a bit from the New York gossip scene—but not willingly. Beginning in March, Smith's column will appear in the New York Post only three times a week, down from its current six. Asked about the cutback, Smith says, "It's all the Post's idea, so if you want further information, you'll have to ask [editor in chief] Col Allan. They're developing young gossip columnists is what I believe." (A Post spokesman did not return a call for comment.)
Smith, who was cut loose last year by her longtime "home" paper, Newsday, after she accidentally missed her contract renewal deadline, notes she'll still be writing six days a week for syndication and the Web—plus TV. "I'll also be working for Fox on a show called Lips & Ears," she says. "Frankly, I've never seen it, I've just been recording for it. It's very big on the Internet. I think it's for people who can't be bothered with stories that last more than 30 seconds."
And there you have it.