For the first time, more people in California buy The New Yorker than in New York, writes Cynthia Cotts in the Village Voice. The score was 167,580 in California (with its 15 million more residents) to 166,630 in New York state for the second half of last year. After the New York metropolitan area, the next biggest center of TNY readers is San Francisco (65,000) followed by Los Angeles (54,000).

Editor David Remnick seems to be increasing coverage of the entertainment industry, but the "Letter From California" is still written from Brooklyn, and according to a spokesperson, the editorial staff has no plans to relocate to Santa Monica. But groupies take note: The mag is staging its first event in L.A. this weekend, a series of "New Yorker Nights" featuring fiction readings and interviews. Carey says the event has long been in the works. Translation: It's just a coincidence that Lillian Ross is hitting L.A. at high tide.

The New Yorker Nights series at the Silent Movie Theatre on Fairfax begins Thursday with Ross interviewing Robin Williams. The traveling exhibit of New Yorker cover art will be at the BGH Gallery in Santa Monica in April. The full schedule is here.

* Magazine staff writer Susan Orlean is also on KPCC this afternoon with Kitty Felde (who has recovered from mistakenly referring yesterday to the late Gore Vidal and being corrected by Lily Tomlin).