Press releases

House of Hope Authors Series
spotlights 'Recessionistas'

PRESS RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 17, 2011

Read more about the Authors Series

Alexandra Lebenthal will bring her Wall Street insight and timely novel -- “The Recessionistas” – to Stuart Jan. 27, as part of the Authors Series to benefit House of Hope.

Lebenthal is a New York investment specialist and socialite. She is the founder of Alexandra & James Inc., a wealth management company that she runs with her father, Jim Lebenthal, who made his name selling municipal bonds. She now caters to a group she calls "the lost affluent."

With her rollicking debut novel, “The Recessionistas: A Novel of the Once-Rich and Powerful,” Lebenthal has added “author” to her resume. Her book follows two Wall Streeters as they scramble to salvage their money and their lives through the economic collapse of 2008. The book contains oodles of high-society shindigs, Wall Street jargon, and Bernie Madoff-like skullduggery.

Each edition of the Authors Series takes place 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. in the Wolf High-Technology Center at Indian River State College’s Chastain Campus, 2400 SE Salerno Road, Stuart.

All ticket holders for the Lebenthal appearance are invited to attend a complimentary wine reception beginning at 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 27.  Jeff Cohen of Wells Fargo Advisors is the lead sponsor for this edition of the Authors Series.

Tickets, which are $30 each, can be ordered online at www.hohmartin.org or by mail. They also are available at House of Hope, 2484 SE Bonita St., Stuart, FL  34997. Sponsorships are also available. Call (772) 286-4673 for information.

During each program, the author will address the audience, participate in a Q&A and then be available for autographing books, which will be on sale by Barnes & Noble at the venue. All ticket sale proceeds and a portion of the book sale proceeds benefit House of Hope.

Following is the remaining lineup of authors: 

• Thursday, Feb. 10: Tab Hunter, “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star.” The 1950s heartthrob has penned a memoir that tells how a kid named Art Gelien became “The Sigh Guy.” The book charts Hunter's life through friendships and hardships (emotional and financial) and is an illuminating piece of Hollywood history. Crown Car Care is a benefactor for this session.  All ticket holders for the Tab Hunter session are invited to join a complimentary wine reception, beginning at 6:15 p.m. on Feb. 10.

• Thursday, Feb. 17: Jere Van Dyk, “Captive: My Time as a Prisoner of the Taliban.” This is a harrowing memoir by Jere Van Dyk, an American journalist who was exploring the war zone on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border when he was captured by a band of Taliban fighters. Van Dyk’s claustrophobic narrative covers his 44-day ordeal and brings the reader into the universe of the Taliban, where paranoia and fanaticism reign.

• Thursday, March 10: Dominique Browning, “Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put on My Pajamas & Found Happiness.” Browning’s 13-year job as editor-in-chief of House & Garden magazine defined her days and her identity. When the magazine folded in 2007, she was shaken to the core. In this funny, gracious memoir, Browning recounts how she found enlightenment.

House of Hope provides food, clothing, household necessities, financial assistance and life-changing case management services for Martin County residents in need. All four locations operate a resale store, a food pantry and connect people to the agency’s assistance programs.

For more information about House of Hope or the Authors Series, call (772) 286-4673, or visit www.hohmartin.org.