Stars & Society

January 21, 2010 - Michael Elkin, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Brett Wallach

Author! Author! Okay, here are two of them: Brett Wallach makes his novel debut with Jesse Garon, set in the Northeast, and whose main characters, P.I. Phil Allman and Robert Zimmerman -- "who was born as Jesse Garon Presley and who was indeed Elvis' real-life stillborn twin," says the author -- are Jewish. Wonder if Elvis will show up in the bookstore line? Thank you, thank you very much.

Turning the page: Leila Kotler Joffe has just penned an illustrated -- Thomas McAteer is the artist -- children's book, Dear Boys; she has two of them. When she's not busy with them, her husband, her dog and the book, she teaches at the Lifelong Institute at the JCC in Cherry Hill, N.J.

More with Swarthmore: The suburban college has been named best of the best in its field for "Value," say the people at Princeton Review. Who came in second? (Wouldn't Jenny of A Love Story like to know): Harvard. And for those who wonder how a school whose tuition/ room and board closes in on $50 thousand this academic year can qualify for best value, well, have you seen the price of tomatoes?

It's only gossip, but then they made a TV series out of "Gossip Girl," so "Stars" couldn't resist: There's talk that a leading contender to replace George Stephanopolous on ABC's "This Week" -- since departed to "Good Morning America" -- is Akiba Hebrew Academy alum Jake Tapper, a reporter for the network. Of course, there's also talk that Ted Koppel may nail the job, but, hey, he's not an Akiba grad.

Jake Tapper

Dundee deal: It was a g'day indeed for Edan Cohen, media production director of the American Law Institute/American Bar Association, based in West Philly, who recently returned from a trip Down Under for his above and beyond winner of an idea for a commercial. He got Nokia's number -- and they got his, announcing him as the winner of their commercial contest, flying him to Australia for the shoot and even giving him a part in the commercial. Take a look for yourself at: www.youtube.com/nokia .

It's the law: Lisa R. Jacobs, a partner at Pepper Hamilton, again proves worth her salt; she's just been named to the drafting committee on harmonization -- sounds like a number from "Hair" -- of unincorporated business entity acts of the National Conference on Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

Breaking up is so hard to do, but some deserve a break today. And when the prestigious and embattled Wolf Block broke up this past year, its attorneys were slingshot across the region and nation (those who found jobs). But, bygones be bygones and now that the firm is gone, some decided to hold a reunion. According to law.com, the holiday reunion got a big boost from three former members: Jonathan A. Segal, who had been on Wolf Block's exec committee and is now with Duane Morris; and erstwhile staffers Caroline Fellman, currently at Pepper Hamilton, and MaryAnn Hall, now with Comcast. The shindig took place at the Park at the Hyatt.

It works for him: Alan Rosenberg, affiliated in executive capacities with Temple U. Health System, is now also part of the volunteer corps of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board.

Is Philadelphia more Dan Brown or Gore Vidal? In the recently released "America's Most Literate Cities 2009," authored by John W. Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University, Philadelphia ranked 32nd, with Seattle No. 1. Must have something to do with the coffee.