Stephanie Clifford, a New York Times reporter who is 36 years old, has just received a seven-figure book deal for her first novel. It's already been optioned for a movie as well.

Publisher's Weekly says the novel is "about a female striver in Manhattan, circa 2006," and is described by an editor as "Edith Wharton meets The Bonfire of the Vanities for the 21st Century."

Clifford—who, despite attending Harvard and spending many years as a New York Times reporter on a variety of beats, has never come to our attention as someone worthy of scorn, and has, to the best of our knowledge, been altogether competent, hardworking, and deserving—now appears to have the world as her oyster. It certainly seems that her peers should act like the adults that they are and view her as a role model and an inspiration, rather than an object of petty jealousy.

"Congratulations."

Ugh...

[Pic via]