As we learned that her assistant was laid off today, our attentions were drawn to be-boa-ed Mediabistro founder Laurel Touby. Coincidentally, a tipster directed us to some nostalgic photos from her young, frivolous college years.

There are two pictures, just posted on Facebook. One is a portrait of the gloriously becoiffed future media queen (sans boa, in these days), the other a cross section of college dorm life. Two shirtless, lean young men, louche on a bed. Two permed, and fully clothed women sit upright. The girl on the inside is Touby, we believe. These were taken at Smith college in Northampton, MA sometime around 1981.

This is something of a Part Two to our The Way We Were series. We'd like to keep it going! Have any old media heyday photos lying around? Send them over! We'd like to compile something of yearbook, to remember how the world used to be before the internet, like a mad and glowing Pied Piper, led us all to ruin.


The caption on this is both priceless and sad: "After slumber party in Laurel and I's room. Don't ask me what happened that night. I spent the night in a friend's room. Anne Laufe was going to nearby Mt. Holyoke at the time. I can't remember the guy's names, Laurel?"