Late columnist Liz Smith honored at literacy gala

Late columnist Liz Smith was honored at the Literacy Partners’ Evening of Readings and Gala Dinner Dance at Cipriani Wall Street.

Smith was a founder of the organization, which works to end illiteracy, along with the late Parker Ladd and Arnold Scaasi.

The evening was hosted by Smith’s longtime friend Cynthia McFadden and included a video tribute introduced by Holland Taylor, who called the former New York Post columnist “the most wonderful person I ever met.”

Also there was Taylor’s girlfriend, actress Sarah Paulson, who read from Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Goldfinch,” which she is filming.

Lesley Stahl presented literary agent Joni Evans with the Lizzie Award, named after Smith, reminding the crowd that Evans is responsible for Donald Trump’s “The Art of the Deal.”

Also at the event were Martha Stewart, Sheila Nevins and Alina Cho.