Lehmann to New York Mag?

If what Gawker says is true, then Chris Lehmann, deputy editor of Book World, will jump ship to become a features editor at New York Magazine. No word on when this job change would happen, though it’s expected to be fairly shortly. My mind’s whirring at this bit of news but if I can calm myself a little bit I’ll focus on the following points:

A. Lehmann was one of the strongest reviewers, a proponent of good literature and a very sharp critic. His voice would certainly be missed, and Book World will have a huge hole to fill–never mind that there will have to be someone to take over Lehmann’s weekly review column on Tuesdays.

B. He’s also known rather good-naturedly as “Mr. Wonkette,” aka the husband of celebrity political blogger Ana Marie Cox. No word on whether Lehmann’s new job will require him to move back to New York (where he and Cox were based before he took the Book World job) but if so, will Cox go with him?

C. And if Cox does move back to the city, what does the future hold for Wonkette? Can she sustain the blog if she has to operate it from outside of Washington? Will the sensibility change if she does so? Or will someone else fill the role? (Our pick for the hypothetical “Wonkette II” would have to be this young lady.)

Suffice it to say that enquiring minds want to know and the story is, well, DEVELOPING…

UPDATE, 10:45 AM May 26: In a nutshell, Lehmann is moving to New York to start at the magazine fairly shortly, and Cox, as she states this morning in light of Page Six’s item, “[won’t be] noving to NY; Mr. Wonkette is going to commute.”