How did Tyler Cowen land Natasha?

In response to my profile of blogger/foodie/economist/polymath Tyler Cowen -- one of my favorite subjects of my career -- a lot of people have asked me a simple question: How did he meet his wife? Cowen would readily admit that he is not exactly George Clooney. But in Washington, he thinks that's an advantage. In one of our many conversations, he told me this:

It turns out that Cowen met his wife, Natasha, a Russian literature scholar turned SEC lawyer, at a party. Cowen is typically a hit at such gatherings. His co-blogger and colleague at George Mason, Alex Tabarrok, said people who meet Cowen at get-togethers often come away finding him interesting for different reasons.

“If he talks to an economist, that person will say, ‘Tyler had a solid grasp of economics,’” Tabarrok says. “If he talks to someone in the music world, that person will say, ‘Tyler knew a lot about music.’ If he talks to a kid, that kid will say, ‘Tyler knew a lot about Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings.’”

He knows everything. Natasha knew it.