Monday evening, a friend of mine who has a spacious apartment threw a book

party for Prime Obsession. Over 60 people showed up, including entire

cohorts from NR, The New Criterion, and the New York Sun. I had honestly

not expected such a turnout. In the case of NR colleagues, it involved a

real sacrifice of time, as this was an “editorial Monday,” when it’s all

hands to the oars to get the next issue to press by mid-week. (Colleagues

who had to stay to mind the shop are included in all these remarks without

discrimination.) In the case of practically everybody, it was a selfless

expression of personal support, as my book isn’t even about politics or

current events in any way, but math, to which most writerly types are

ill-disposed. I am stunned and humbled with appreciation and gratitude. I

am expressing this, as best I can, to individual attendees as I meet them,

but a lot of those I don’t see often are readers of The Corner, so I hope

they will take this posting as sufficient until we meet. Let me tell you,

it’s quite something to be in an apartment full of people who have all

showed up because of something you did. The event confirmed what I knew

anyway: that conservatives are simply the best people there are.