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HBO has optioned the rights to "I Was Told There'd Be Cake," a bestselling collection of essays by Vintage Books publicist Sloane Crosley.

Project is the first set up by former HBO Entertainment prexy Carolyn Strauss through her production pact at the pay cabler (Daily Variety, March 17). Strauss will serve as exec producer and is looking for a writer to pen the smallscreen adaptation.

Crosley's essays in "Cake" cover topics from accidentally amassing a collection of plastic ponies to locking herself out of her apartment twice on the same day.

Crosley said that she didn't want to speak to HBO's plans for the series but did say she understood the show would have "more of a Larry David vibe than a 'Sex and the City' vibe."