I am always amazed at the resiliency of our community. The economic recession gets deeper each day, everyone is being bailed out, wars are being fought on several fronts and yet somehow the world keeps turning. The fabulous fetes continue, albeit in a pared down way as folks realize it's not how fabulous the décor is or what vintage you're pouring or whether you have to forego that new pair of Jimmy Choo's for New Year's Eve, it's about celebrating a year filled with world changing events that touched all. So, East Enders keep on painting, writing, filming, fishing, cooking and going out.

I have been doing a lot of catching up with our neighbors as I did last week tracking the swell-egant catered affairs as well as the intimate private house parties that fill the social calendar each season and provide yours truly with lots of good dish!

Tina Fey, Elaine Stritch, and honoree Alec Baldwin at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall for the gala for the Tisch School of the Arts. Photos by PatrickMcMullan.com

Lincoln Center's Rose Hall was the setting for a glittering gala for the Tisch School of the Arts whose alumni reads like a Who's Who in film, theater, and music. Naturally there were numerous members of the Tisch family on hand including East Hampton's Jonathan and Lizzie Tisch and Andrew and Ann Tisch to congratulate the evening's honorees which included Amagansett's Alec Baldwin, Class of '94. Baldwin, along with Maurice Kanbar, Iris Cantor, and Zelda Fichandler were honored for their achievements and philanthropy in the arts.

Hosts for the evening included the school's Dean, Mary Schmidt Campbell, and Gala co-chairs Patrice Auld '77 and Rosemarie Di Lorenzo. Dean's Council members Chris Columbus '80 and Hamptonite Lorne Michaels served as Honorary Co-Chairs.

Of course, being one of the world's greatest laboratories for talent, the evening was filled with stunning performances by the likes of Tony award winner Raul Esparza, Class of '92, Drama Desk winner Laura Benanti who wowed the seen-it-all set with a rippin' rendition of "Let Me Entertain You" from the award winning revival of "Gypsy" directed by Quogue's Arthur Laurents. But it was Elaine Stritch who stopped the show and had the audience howling especially when bantering with honoree Alec Baldwin.

Also lighting up the room overlooking Central Park were the gorgeous "Law & Order" star Mariska Hargitay and Alec's "30 Rock" co-star Tina Fey - who did not channel Sarah Palin much to the dismay - or joy - of guests.

Later that week, Cinema Society founders Daniel Benedict and Andrew Saffir did their magic once again in filling a special screening of "Last Chance Harvey" with scores of their Hamptons' and Tinseltown pals. It didn't hurt that the film's two stars - Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson were present to glad hand the crowd.

Both Hoffman and Thompson have already been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actor and Best Actress for the charming and touching film from director Joel Hopkins which opened Christmas Day.

An after party took place at the Hudson Hotel where East End regulars Richard Schiff, Fern Mallis, Marc Jacobs and new beau Lorenzo Martone, Bettina Zilkha, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Michael and Eleanora Kennedy, Douglas Hannant and Frederick Anderson, Camille Grammer, and Ivana Trump partied with the likes of Ang Lee, Lisa Kudrow, Caroline Rhea, Cheyenne Jackson, Susan Stroman, Bebe Neuwirth, Denise Hale, and co-host for the evening Piaget president Larry Boland.

In Southampton Village, Helen Matsos hosted an intimate holiday soiree in the baronial main room of the former Hall wood factory which she and Stewart Pivar had transformed into one of the most lovely party spaces in town, Grand pianos at either end of the room near two roaring fires and individual seating areas strewn throughout the massive space allow for small gatherings without feeling separated from the goings on around the hall.

Daniel Benedict, polo player Nacho Figueras and wife Delphine Figueras, and Andrew Saffir at the Cinema Society fete for "Last Chance Harvey."

Helen recruited her pal Christopher Arnold to co-host and to tickle the ivories performing his hilarious Hamptons send up tunes to the delight of the guests. At the enormous buffet table we ran into Paton Miller, Eric Ernst, Leonard Barton, and a host of the East End's art scenesters.

Chris, who works with Stephan Keszler Gallery, had just returned from Miami where they had shown at the Scope Art Fair to great success. Chris told us that having artist Russell Young create a painting with his own blood was the "surefire way of getting TV attention at the opening of the art fest". Despite the lagging sales in contemporary art, Keszler fared well showing works by Young, British graffiti artist Banksy, Michael Dweck who is famed for his Montauk images, and East Hampton's David Gamble.

Author Sheila Weller who penned the wildly successful "Girls Like Us" chronicling the great voices of the 1960s and 1970s Carly Simon, and Joni Mitchell has just signed with HarperCollins to write a bio of future First Lady Michelle Obama. Steve Ross, the publisher who helmed Barack Obama's own "The Audacity of Hope" and republished his "Dreams From My Father" is behind this project, so we can expect a class treatment.

Speaking of inspirational books, check out iconic Montauk troubadour Paul Simon's new tome, Paul Simon's "Lyrics 1964-2008" which Simon & Schuster just released, and which spans his entire career, from Simon & Garfunkel's 1964 debut album through this year's unreleased songs "Rewrite" and "Love and Hard Times". Illustrated with vintage snapshots, album covers and handwritten notes, the chronological "Lyrics," Simon says "follows my natural evolution as a writer."

The winner of 12 Grammys and the first Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, Simon is highly regarded for his body of work that has drawn parallels to the work of Irving Berlin and Cole Porter.

How many collections can boast a forward by artist Chuck Close? In his foreword Close (who says he listens to Simon exclusively while he is creating) writes, "his music is appreciated by me, and probably the majority of his fans, just by letting his words and music wash over us as an experience - and what a powerful, rich, and varied experience that can be." Citing Paul's stature in the music world, Close goes on to state, "No less a composer than Philip Glass has called Paul the greatest songwriter of our time."

Amid all this good news, I learned just how small this planet is. The recent tragedy in India seemed a world away until I heard from friends about one of my favorite wordsmiths, playwright and screenwriter Brian D'Alessandro of Southampton who went through a harrowing experience caught in the terror that engulfed Mumbai last month.

Brian had gone to India to help a friend Navanil Das, a filmmaker from Kolkata for whom he wrote and associate-produced a feature film named "Beyond Life" four years ago, as he launched his new business, a media-based innovation forum and cultural impact initiative in Pune, outside of Mumbai.

Alina Cho and Fern Mallis at the Cinema Society event for "Last Chance Harvey."

Upon his return at Christmas, Brian told friends he had hoped to help his friend put India on the map with this new technology - never dreaming he would be caught in a maelstrom of epic proportions.

"After the Mumbai massacre, the State Department and the Embassy both advised that if I did not leave immediately that I at least change my daily routine as they feared I was being trailed by terrorist sleeper cells."

D'Alessandro continued, "I learned that Pune, the city within which I lived for three months, was a major terrorist hub and we received multiple bomb threats in the days following the attacks in Mumbai. Some 200 allegedly placed throughout the city. The anti-terror chief that was killed during the attacks lived two blocks away from my bungalow."

"After the attacks, walking through the streets, the stares that I received from the locals were both unsettling and heartening. Some would smile when I smiled at them. Others frowned at my greetings. This made me question my safety there. For the most part, the people were categorically beautiful and hospitable."

Like all good writers, Brian has turned to his craft to make something positive of the situation. "The culture, my filmmaker friend's struggle to achieve something spectacular, and my own personal experiences all inspired me to write a semi-autobiographical novel named 'The Courtesy of Water,' which is currently under representation by a top NY agent. I plan on dedicating it to the people of India."

When asked why he was not staying in New York, Brian said, "Friends have joked that I am moving from the most spiritual place in the world to the most superficial. They credit India's deep and authentic value system for giving me the grounding to handle L.A.'s shallow, surface culture." Shallow Brian is not.

On a lighter note, I was delighted to hear news that one of this summer's most seen around couples at Polo, the Classic et al, ABC 7 meteorologist Jeff Smith and Jen Hansen were engaged on Christmas Eve. Keeping with the spirit of the day, Jeff presented Jen with an old-fashioned Advent calendar with the little windows to open on each day of the month up to Christmas. When Jen opened the window on the 24th she was dazzled by a gorgeous diamond ring and immediately said, "Yes!" As for Jeff, his best Christmas present was "her response." Congratulations to a very sweet couple.

If you want to get a glimpse of how the elite eat, check out "Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven" which was a hit at the Hamptons International Film Festival and is now airing on HBO. Directed by Andrew Rossi of Sag Harbor, the film relates the saga of Sirio Maccioni's reign over three incarnations of the legendary eatery that has spawned some of the greatest culinary talents including Daniel Boulud.

Among the boldface names seen dining at the restaurant are such Hamptons luminaries as Cindy Adams, Rudolph and Judith Giuliani, Billy Joel, Liz Smith, Martha Stewart, Donald Trump, and Vera Wang, as well as glitterati including Henry Kissinger, Regis Philbin, Tony Bennett, Robert De Niro and Nancy Reagan.

Another happy restaurateur is East Hampton's Drew Nieporent who is all smiles over praise for his new venture Corton, the latest addition to his Myriad Restaurant Group. His growing dining empire counts in its holdings landmark restaurants such as Nobu, Centrico, Tribeca Grill and Mai House which helped set the standard for modern New York dining.

As I always say good things happen to good people and Drew is one of the best, helping numerous organizations and guiding the careers of up and coming talents. Drew has long been one of the driving forces behind the Great Chefs Dinner to benefit the Hayground School in Bridgehampton.

I wish it was fantasy but the Madoff Scandal keeps growing with yet more East Enders caught in the web of the the suave investment specialist. Designer Adrienne Vittadini is the latest bold face name to join the list which now also includes Ira Rennert and the Noel Family. Southampton residents (and residents of Greenwich, Palm Beach and Park Avenue) Walter and Monica Noel and their "Fabulous Noel Girls," as the tabloids have dubbed their five daughters, have all reportedly taken big hits.

The New York Times reports that Noel's largest fund, the $7.3 billion Fairfield Sentry fund, was invested exclusively with Madoff. Noel has not disclosed how much of that was his own money or money that belonged to family members and how much was his investors.' One of his daughters said, through a spokeswoman at Rubenstein Public Relations, that, "a very substantial part of each family member's personal assets was invested with Bernard Madoff alongside those of our investors."

Hampton frequent fliers who didn't invest with Madoff have "made off" to St. Bart's for the New Year's celebrations. Packing such hot spots as The Nikki Beach Club and The Yacht Club are: Dorothea and Jon Bon Jovi, Russell Simmons, Larry Gagosian, Roger Waters, Peter Brant and Stephanie Seymour, and Ron Perelman. Well, somebody has to worry about St. Bart's economy!