Alexandra Penney

Alexandra Penney made some money, invested it with Bernie Madoff, lost it, blogged about and then published a book about the experience titled The Bag Lady Papers.

From her Q & A with Thomas Rogers for Salon:

Most of the angry comments accuse you of being tone-deaf. Did you think their complaints are valid?

Millions and millions of people are worse off than I am. I don’t forget that. I think there's been this enormous change happening in society, a recalibration and a rethinking of what money means. Look at the absolute anger and rage at the bankers and at Goldman Sachs. I can understand somebody saying, "Hey, this woman had 40 shirts," and I can really understand that. It’s like: Who does she think she is? But I had those shirts since college, and I made all that money myself, every dollar, and to have it stolen is an unbalancing experience.

It seems a little callous to call something "The Bag Lady Papers" when there are people out there who are actually losing their homes.

It’s a very good point. But my entire life, save from when I was 16 or 17, when I first started working, I had a fear I would end up on the streets, even though I come from a comfortable background. It was a real fear, and I went into therapy and still couldn’t get rid of it. "The Bag Lady Papers" came from those fears.

Didn't anybody warn you about the title?

To me it...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue