Barry Diller Prefers Food to Conversation

Give Barry Diller a little space, people!

The IAC mogul was slated to present a lifetime achievement award to Tina Brown today on behalf of the American Society of Magazine Editors, but he didn't seem to be in a terribly social mood -- perhaps owing to his exhaustively-chronicled falling-out with longtime business partner John Malone.

Diller skipped the cocktail hour and arrived, by my watch, at 12:29 p.m. -- one minute before lunch was to start. I went over and introduced myself, but before I could ask, say, whether he really thought calling his adversary "insane" to reporters was wise gamesmanship, Diller wriggled free, saying, "I have to go eat lunch now."

Oh well. At least he showed, unlike Felix Rohatyn, who was supposed to introduce the other lifetime achievement honoree, Hachette CEO Jack Kliger. Rohatyn came down with the flu.

I had better luck with Brown's husband, acclaimed author and editor Harry Evans, who told me that he's been given no fewer than three lifetime achievement awards of his own. "I refused one of them," he said. "I said to them, 'Lifetime achievement? I'm only just getting started.'"

Indeed, Evans is currently at work on two books -- one more than his wife, who's writing a history of the Clintons. Better step it up, Tina, or you'll never catch up.