A celebration that's anything but 'Restless'

"Restless Virgins" authors Abigail Jones and Marissa Miley celebrated their book about the Milton Academy sex scandal with a shindig on Newbury Street the other night. None of the book's restless subjects showed up, but there were plenty of family and friends, including Jones's 86-year-old grandmother Sally Drachman, who said she read the racy book in one day. "We always had what was known as a 'fast' group, but it wasn't as prevalent," said Drachman. "When they call it 'Restless Virgins,' they mean it. It's like [Bill ] Clinton - they had sex but they didn't have sex. Everything but intercourse, so they feel like virgins."

Recyclable material

Had he been a Hollywood hunk, Bob Newhart might have been held in higher esteem at home. "I said to my wife, Ginny, that I bet Joanne Woodward doesn't ask Paul Newman to take out the recyclables," the consummate comic told the audience at the AARP convention yesterday. "She said, 'If you were Paul Newman I wouldn't ask you to.' " More than 2,300 people packed the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center to hear the TV legend, who turned 78 this week, deliver the opening address in his usual deadpan style. No stranger to successful sitcoms, Newhart said the best shows are taped in front of a live audience. "The first time Larry, Darryl, and Darryl came on, the audience just wouldn't stop," he told us, referring to the characters on "Newhart." "So many great moments on TV were created by the audience's reaction."

Pick of the pics

Can Globe photographer Bill Brett fill a room or what? Brett's bash to celebrate "Boston: An Extended Family," his latest book of black-and-white pics, drew quite a crowd at the Boston Public Library last night. Among others, the guest list included historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who wrote the foreword; mayors Tom Menino, Kevin White, and Ray Flynn; Bank of America exec Anne Finucane; Lycos founder Bob Davis; fashion designer Denise Hajjar; hoteliers Serge Denis of the Langham, the InterContinental's Tim Kirwan, Paul Jacques of the Boston Harbor Hotel, and Dick Friedman of the Charles and Liberty hotels; band leaders Bo and Bill Winiker; past and present Suffolk County DAs Ralph Martin, Newman Flanagan, and Dan Conley; author Ben Mezrich; Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky; and Improper Bostonian founder Mark Semonian.

Tyler struts at Fashion Rocks

"My God, how long has dude been looking like a lady?" Jeremy Piven asked Aerosmith screamer Steven Tyler at Thursday's Fashion Rocks show in New York. The "Entourage" actor had fun at Tyler's expense, telling the crowd he'd been up all night making the rocker's pantsuit with a hot glue gun and rhinestones. Proving he's still got it, Tyler performed "Walk This Way" with Fergie, and left the Black Eyed Peas singer far behind. Wearing an Aerosmith T-shirt, Emerson alum Denis Leary also took the stage at the music-and-fashion mash-up. Truth be told, the highlight of the show wasn't Tyler and Fergie's fling, but the pairing of Usher and Mary J. Blige on a medley of 1960s soul tunes.

Gisele Bundchen is as savvy as she is sexy. We're told that, for the time being at least, Tom Brady's Brazilian babe wants to be paid in euros because the dollar is so weak. Hardly hurting for bread, Bundchen was recently named the world's wealthiest supermodel, earning an estimated $33 million last year alone. Word is that the catwalker's new contract with Pantene pays her 2 million euros, which is the equivalent of $2.7 million.

Finally, some star power at the Boston Film Festival. Organizers announced yesterday that George Clooney (inset) is coming to town Sept. 15 to present the Lifetime Achievement Award to Jerry Weintraub, producer of all three "Ocean's" films. Others expected at the film fest, which runs from Sept. 14-21, include "Trade" director Marco Kreuzpaintner and actress Alicja Bachleda-Curus; Clint Eastwood's daughter Alison, who's screening her directorial debut, "Rails & Ties"; Danny Aiello and Lesley Ann Warren, who'll introduce Frank Ciota's "Stiffs"; "CSI: Miami" actor Adam Rodriguez, star of a movie titled "Take"; Jonathan Scarfe, star of "The Poet"; and "Lars and the Real Girl" star Emily Mortimer, who'll be in town anyway to film "Pink Panther 2."

After his set at the Bank of America Pavilion the other night, Merle Haggard hooked up backstage with Peter Wolf to record a tune for the former J. Geils frontman's new disc. (The song, "It's Too Late for Me," was co-written by Will Jennings, who co-penned "Tears in Heaven.") We're told Wolf's record, due out next year, will also feature duets with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Following his appearance Thursday at the AARP convention, Michael Douglas and his raven-haired wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, had lunch at Radius. . . . Noria Morales, fashion editor of Lucky magazine, will be at Stil in Natick today. The BC grad is celebrating the opening of the boutique, which also has locations on Newbury Street and Chestnut Hill. . . . There were a few familiar faces at a fete thrown by primo publicist Marlo Fogelman. The crowd included philanthropist Don Rodman, restaurateurs Darryl Settles and Garrett Harker, Zoo New England prez John Linehan, publicist Geri Denterlein, socialite Doris Yaffe, and the Freedom Trail's Mimi LaCamera.

Word is the Girls Scouts have tapped John Edwards's inspirational wife, Elizabeth, to give the keynote speech at their "Leading Women" event in October. Honorees include Pam Hamlin of Arnold Worldwide; Debra Miller of Citizens Bank; Pam Salkovitz of Stride Rite Children's Group; Addie Swartz of B*tween Productions; Dr. Zorica Pantic of Wentworth Institute of Technology; and Roxbury Technology Corp.'s Beth Williams.

Christopher Muther and Meredith Goldstein of the Globe staff contributed. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.