Alumni tipster and Bwog loyalist Ed Hoffman informs us that James Franco has confirmed his exodus from 209 once and for all. After one student accused him of only frequenting the library to check out all the hot young things, poor Franco was forced to study in Dodge, where he had “to sit alone in the dark.”  Hence his move to the inestimably better lit coffeeshops around NYU.

Franco hasn’t been scarred for life by collegiate antics, though — our young scholar also reports that he’s considering heading to New Haven in the near future.  Yale girls are already counting down the minutes.

This update from NYU Local suggests that James Franco may not return to 209 for awhile — he’s too busy taking classes on topics like “You Don’t Know Dick: The Courageous Hearts of Transsexual Men.”  That’s right: Franco is ostensibly down at Tisch taking Queer Cinema 101, just hoping and praying that Milk gets on the syllabus.

-Photo via thaindian.com

Resident Columbia film star James Franco has reportedly signed a book deal to publish a collection of short stories. The newly minted bard, who already carries some weight in the publishing world, is also set to act in a film about ex-Columbia literary luminary Allen Ginsberg.

The writerly impulse apparently runs in the family since Franco’s mom is an author too, and he has read some of her audio books. No word yet if this literary turn will bring Franco to Wien.       

- Photo via AllPosters.com

Apparently, James Franco was hanging out Butler 209 last night. From some onlookers:

Football Player: “Is that James Franco over there?”

Girl: “Yeah, why?”

Football Player: “I wanna fight him!”

Careful now, Mr. Jock: young Franco has experience.

Remember how James Franco is actually an actor?  Well, it’s time to get your holiday cheer on early because Franco is starring alongside Sean Penn in Milk, the story of California’s first openly gay elected official. 

Franco is playing a hippie (for a change) who becomes Milk‘s campaign manager.  The film, opening today, will be playing in Chelsea and the the East Village all day.  

Columbia’s new mascot James Franco hosted Saturday Night Live last night, and as many of you have told us, his opening monologue was all about life as a celebrity at Columbia.

Bwog’s been searching for this video online, but thus far we’ve been unable to find it. Still, here’s what we know: Franco was greeted by his RA (Jason Sudeikis) who sympathized with Franco about being a celebrity on campus. Apparently the RA is in the Funk Tones, “Columbia’s most popular non-tryout, non-lesbian a cappella group,” and can’t walk into Cafe 212 without being lavishly praised for his beat boxing skills.

There was also something about Franco’s CUID. Again, we’re trying to find this thing online, so if you know where it is, let us know too. (bwog@columbia.edu).

Several tipsters have pointed us in the direction of this Observer piece, which announces that James Franco, MFA ‘?? will star as Allen Ginsberg, CC ’48, in an upcoming biopic.

And while we’re on the topic of Franco (the plaintive soul at right), last night he was spotted studying in Blue Java “with massive hipster headphones staring at his Mac.” Reportedly he looked “scruffy” and was sporting a black Jansport backpack.

That said, as a general policy and a nod to basic human decency, we will not be posting Franco sightings in real time. But continue to send them in, and we’ll do a FrancoWatch wrap-up whenever the need arises.

Tipster Jenny Lam has good news for fans of Freaks and Geeks and Spider-Man:

“Stalkers, plan accordingly: I was at the Whitney Museum administrative offices for an internship interview this afternoon. I’m signing in at the security desk, only to look up and see “JAMES FRANCO” written above my name.  I turn around, and, sure enough, a scruffy-looking Harry Osbourne is being introduced to a Whitney employee by a British girl, and his hair is a nice shade of bottle blond (orange, rather).  As I’m waiting for security to contact my interviewer, I hear JFranc say that he’s enrolled at the Columbia MFA Writing Program for Fall 2008, and he’ll be taking classes at Tisch as well.”

Another tipster tells us that Teh Internets are already all atwitter at the news, at least over on oldschool Livejournal community/celebrity gossip blog Oh No They Didn’t. Some highlights from the comment thread on their post (which, incidentally, appears also to have been written by Lam):

“lolz poor dood he’s going to get stalked by creepy people omg

but omg jelisss celebrity sightings”

“I might be doing the summer drama program and Tisch. LOLOLOL I’m going to eat his face off.”

“I would pound that like maize”