The Brooklyn Papers / Tom Callan

Brooklyn Public Library gala master of ceremonies Cady Huffman, with her husband Bill Healy.

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Being a book-lover herself, GO Girl is no stranger to Brooklyn’s literary scene. In fact, she rarely goes anywhere without her dog-eared copy of her favorite thriller, "The Low-Carb Bartender." So it was no surprise to her when she was asked to attend the Brooklyn Public Library’s black tie gala, staged inside the Central branch on Nov. 17.

Just as it does for all ladies of a certain age, the time has come for the library to get her facelift. The Grand Army Plaza landmark is currently undergoing a renovation to its front entrance and plaza that will include an outdoor cafe, performance space and landscaping. Beneath the plaza, which is expected to be completed next fall, a new 200-seat auditorium is being constructed.

GO Girl wholeheartedly supports any venue that stages readings, as she’s opposed to actually doing the reading herself.

On the night of the gala, klieg lights pierced the sky, guiding guests to a tented side entrance, where they followed a red carpet into the swinging party.

As if the prospect of meeting DUMBO’s own Willy Wonka, Jacques Torres, wasn’t enough of an incentive to RSVP "oui!" to the soiree, the evening’s host was actress Cady Huffman, who won a Tony award for her performance as va-va-voom Ulla in "The Producers," opposite Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, GO Girl spotted the tall, flaxen-haired Huffman across the children’s library. GO Girl recognized the curvy actress, shimmering in her pale orange silk gown, from the billboard that had smiled down upon her for years from high above the Gowanus Expressway.

Huffman told GO Girl she had cleared her schedule to emcee the gala at the request of her Park Slope friend, Art Chang, a trustee on the Brooklyn Public Library Foundation board.

The blondeshell, who currently plays Dr. Paige Miller on the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live," confided that she is now looking to move her family - three cats, a dog and hunky husband Bill Healy - from Manhattan and into a home in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill or Williamsburg.

Clearly a fan of the borough, the actress revealed that her gown and accessories were made by Brooklyn designer Yvonne Chu. Even Huffman’s Lila Dulany jewelry was ordered from Chu’s Atlantic Avenue boutique, Kimera.

But the question on GO Girl’s martini-addled mind was not what Huffman was WEARING but what she was READING. GO Girl’s latest idol confided that "my husband gives me required reading" such as her current assignment, "The Telling" by Ursula K. Le Guin.

"I like reading Harry Potter books," she said. "Fantasy books that are easy to bring on the subway. I’m excited to see the new [Potter] movie this weekend."

GO Girl nodded sympathetically when the Santa Barbara native said that she doesn’t have much time to read for fun, because she has to read scripts for work.

"The other day, I had to know 40 pages," said Huffman. "It’s a crazy way to read." GO Girl could sympathize because she is often made weary by reading the nightlife listings. There are things we trend-setting blondes must do for our public.

GO Girl is now waiting with bated breath for the release of the big screen musical "Romance & Cigarettes," directed by Park Slope’s John Turturro, in which Huffman plays the role of Roe.

Brooklyn Heights biographer Ron Chernow ("Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.," "Alexander Hamilton"), one of three luminaries to be honored at the gala, told an attentive GO Girl that he is currently penning a bio of George Washington, so he has "little time for pleasure reading. I have a lot of obligatory reading. To research each of my books, I have to read a couple of hundred books and it’s often tedious, required reading."

Despite his workload, Chernow said, "I just finished reading Ian McEwan’s ’Saturday.’"

Later, during his acceptance speech, when the audience was more concerned with chatting over their entrees than hearing a lecture, Chernow shushed the crowd from the podium, "I’m not going on unless you’re quiet."

But GO Girl didn’t hear what the shush-meister said after that.

Loosened up by an open bar, the crowd was ready to do battle at the live auction, run by Sotheby’s pro Marsha Malinowski.

Although the evening’s conspicuous no-show turned out to be Torres, he was there in spirit, as paddles shot up like nerds’ hands in an Advanced Placement class in frantic bidding for a one-day chocolate-making class with the master himself.

While fanning herself with one of the large paddles, GO Girl accidentally bid $500 on a day making biscotti with foodie Jane Brody, but happily, someone outbid her. Although the library’s foundation is certainly a good cause, GO Girl was NOT going to spend an afternoon in the kitchen - unless someone was giving her a pedicure there.

In all, $355,000 was raised in the auction.

At the end of the affair, GO Girl traipsed onto Eastern Parkway with the satisfying weight of another top-notch giftbag on her shoulder and jotted down the dates of two intriguing, upcoming events at the library: talks by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns on Dec. 6 and pop culture commentator Toure on Dec. 10.

Although cocktails won’t be served, GO Girl might make an exception and attend.

For more information about supporting the Brooklyn Public Library, visit the Web site at www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org.

©2005 Community Newspaper Group