Among the other nationaly-syndicated opinion columnists, see Cynthia Tucker (Atlanta Journal-Constitution). I’d chat her up at a party.
[sub]I am so going to hell…[/sub]
Since no one’s flamed Hamlet for nominating Brent Runyon, I guess it’s safe to nominate Iris Chang, too.
(Suicide is such a waste. Why won’t anyone think of all the lonely nebbishes who’ve lost a fantasy object?)
Keeping up with the list of good looking Indians, here is Manil Suri.
His last novel, The Death of Vishnu, is really good.
It’s truly icky to see Iris Chang’s website has a section labeled “Speaking Schedule”.
Damn!
And not every woman can pull off that look.
Eve.
Dropping in quickly before I go to bed: has anyone nominated Kenneth Oppel? Yow! 
I think that Sebastian Junger is approximately as hot as the core of the sun.
I sat in the front row to see/hear John Irving read a chapter from Cider House Rules when it was first released. Yum, yum, yum. I am not surprised to see him mentioned several times in this thread. He is gorgeous, and has a beautiful speaking voice as well.
J. V. Jones is hot and writes terrible, terrible novels. By contrast, most good fantasy authors are fairly ugly. Gene Wolfe, for instance.