Updates

Model Hannah Cohen, Newscaster Leslie Griffith, and Writer Anthony Swofford

You’ve read about these fellow East Bay residents in Diablo—and perhaps some other places as well.

Model Hannah Cohen from Walnut Creek, who graced Diablo’s October 2004 cover, appeared on Travel and Leisure’s February cover. Cohen spent two weeks globetrotting for the magazine’s "50 Romantic Places" story. "I had just come back from having a horrible 18th birthday, by myself, and I had this frantic message on my cell phone saying, You’re going to Malaysia," says the former Las Lomas High student. "I flew from New York to Savannah for three or four days. Then we flew to Paris for four days. It was about 30 degrees outside, and I had to wear these little dresses and try not to look cold. Then we had a few days in Malaysia, where it was nice and warm."

Newscaster Leslie Griffith has made some news of her own. Her investigation into the treatment of elephants by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus won the KTVU anchor the Humane Society of the United States’s Genesis Award for outstanding local news reporting. Stars Stockard Channing, David Duchovny, Nicollette Sheridan, and Griffith can all be seen when the March 19 awards presentation is broadcast May 14 and 15 on the Animal Planet channel.

Former St. Mary’s College creative writing professor Anthony Swofford is looking forward to going to the movies this November. His Gulf War memoir, Jarhead, is being adapted into a feature film directed by Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) and starring recent Best Actor Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. The character based on Swofford will be played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, The Day After Tomorrow).