BookExpo America 2007, the nation’s largest publishing convention, kicks off at the Javits Center today. One of this year’s major convention sponsors will be, of all things, MySpace. The social networking ubernetwork, which recently launched MySpace Books, will be hosting a panel on networking and surviving as a supporting sponsor. BookExpo America already has an officially-sanctioned MySpace group with over 300 members. However, MySpace will not be the only social networking site with a presence at BEA. The quasi-Amazon affiliated Last.FM-inspired site Shelfari will be making its industry premiere at the convention as well.

Scheduled speakers on BEA panels include Joyce Carol Oates, Valerie Plame, Francine Prose and — oh, God — Christopher Hitchens.

Speaking of which, mediabistro.com is throwing a BookExpo publishing party — hosted by GalleyCat bloggers Ron Hogan and Sarah Weinman and white-hot author Dana Vachon — tonight:

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We were expecting a celeb sighting or two since it’s Upfront time — the week the networks trot out their overpaid and underfed stars to shill for their supper — but alas, there were no signs of McDreamy or Matthew Fox anywhere. (Thankfully, we didn’t see any cavemen either.) Disappointed, we settled in at our regular perch at the bar to survey the suits and check out the regulars when our pal publicity maven Leslie Stevens appeared on the scene. A scheduling snafu left Leslie solo, so she gamely pulled up a stool and chatted up lunchtime chronicler Diane Clehane. The tireless pitchwoman told us she only had time for a quick bite because she was en route to D.C. to attend the launch party of the Onion Express, a joint venture between “America’s Finest News Source” — The Onion — and The Washington Post. Tonight’s soiree is expected to draw the likes of Christopher Hitchens (just don’t get him started talking about religion) and Christopher Buckley as well as “a bunch of politicos.” See, there really is life outside of New York.

Here’s a rundown on the rest:

Table 1. Glamour‘s Cindi Leive, Allure‘s Linda Wells, Playboy‘s Chris Napolitano and a few folks we didn’t recognize having their monthly “editor’s lunch.”

2. Ben Silverman and guests. The ubiquitous Ms. Stevens is throwing a party for the reality show guru (The Biggest Loser, The Restaurant) at the new karaoke joint Spotlight Live (we hear J.Lo has been by) on Thursday night for the crowd in town for the Upfronts. Sorry, by invite only …

3. Terry Allen Kramer and a table full of guests. (We’re told Mayor Joe Armstrong is not MIA, but simply enjoying a trip across the pond to London. Hurry back!)

4. Norman Pearlstine, sporting a military-looking buzz cut, with two equally close-cropped young gents.

5. Arnold Scassi and Parker Ladd. After witnessing Mr. Ladd take a call at the bar we’re amused to report he might be the only adult male in New York City that doesn’t own a cell phone.

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While we were busy liveblogging the blingy National Magazine Awards last night, our Brooklyn-based videographer Kelly Loudenberg was there shooting the revelry. Watch Rolling Stone‘s Jann Wenner attack the Bush administration (“… killing innocent people for some fantasy war, denying global warming exists and burning more f*cking fossil fuels than ever — great leadership”), Kevin Bacon attack his own career, New York‘s Ellies-stealing Adam Moss outline his staff’s drinking plans and Vanity Fair‘s Graydon Carter tackle the increasingly waxy subject of Christopher Hitchens, specifically “the back, the crack, the sack.” Enjoy!

2007 Ellies Coverage:

New York’s Adam Moss [left] and the New Yorker’s David Remnick [right] flank Rolling Stone’s Jann Wenner at the 2006 National Magazine Awards

Counting down the hours to tonight’s National Magazine Awards in New York (FishbowlNY will be there, liveblogging). It’s about time to reveal our bracket-busting picks for the 2007 Ellies — which oughta fare better than last year’s debacle.

Our picks:

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Virginia Tech was a “non-story,” no more important than news of a “traffic accident.” Magazine editors should be ashamed of themselves for not publishing the Danish cartoons. Anna Nicole was a “fat slut.” Religion “poisons everything.”

Oh, and women? They still aren’t funny.

Some words of wisdom offered by Vanity Fair contributing editor, author, National Magazine Award finalist and newly-ordained American citizen Christopher Hitchens at the American Society of Magazine Editors’ annual board meeting/luncheon at the Princeton Club this afternoon in New York.

Hitchens, politely grilled by Slate editor Jacob Weisberg, sounded off on everything from Imus to Saddam to George Tenet in front of a roomful of magazine editors, but his comments about the slain Virginia Tech students seemed to be the most provocative.

“Virginia Tech is a non-story,” said the British-born Hitchens, who said he took his oath as a U.S. citizen earlier in the day. “There were no implications” of anything bigger, explained Hitchens, who compared the shootings to a “traffic accident.” When one editor suggested the massacre pushed gun control to the forefront of the American conversation, Hitchens argued that the laws in Virginia were adequate — shooting people is already illegal, Hitchens said.

Weisberg suggested Hitchens — whose latest book, god is not great: How Religion Poisons Everything is out tomorrow — was a provacateur; Hitchens bristled. As a journalist, your job is to “take nothing on faith,” he said.

When asked about his controversial piece in which Hitchens argued women are not funny, he pointed to male friends who “would not have a prayer of getting laid without being amusing.”