Setting fire to bridges

Jacoba Urist is 28 and worked as a lawyer in the New York office of O'Melveny & Myers for eight months, before quitting two years ago. Page Six says she's peddling a novel, Six Minutes in the City, that's based on characters at the traditional Los Angeles firm, including former Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Somehow though, in her book the stalwart Democrat gets turned into "a doddering Republican power player well past his prime." Page Six also gossips that Krista Smith, Vanity Fair's L.A. presence, is interviewing Paris Hilton for a cover.

Gossip of another sort: Laurie Pike at LA.com notices that the new menus at Kate Mantilini boast, Much whispering goes on in here; if you listen closely you'll probably find out what production deals the rest of Hollywood will hear about in tomorrow's Daily Variety. Pike blogs, "We wonder if some of that whispering is agents and producers figuring out a more discreet place to eat."