‘Hats and Eyeglasses’

Hear celebrity journalist read from her memoir on gambling—and engage in a friendly hand of poker

MILFORD, PA — Reading excerpts from her critically acclaimed memoir, “Hats and Eyeglasses: A Family Affair with Gambling,” Martha Frankel will share her memoir at the Hotel Fauchere in Milford, on Thursday, April 3 beginning at 6:30 pm.

Opening the evening will be a reception for the author, a well-known celebrity journalist, with complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres in the hotel’s Delmonico Room, followed by a reading from her book. At 8:00 p.m., there will be the opportunity for everyone to put on their poker faces and show gambling expert Frankel what they’re made of during a couple of rounds of informal poker.

Milford’s MillRun Booksellers will have copies of Frankel’s book available for sale at the event, and a portion of those proceeds will be donated to the Milford Enhancement Committee. The Hotel Fauchere’s Bar Louis will be open for dinner during and after the reception and poker tournament.

Growing up in a warm and loving family of die-hard gamblers, Frankel learned the ins and outs of gambling at an early age with her father’s poker games and her mother’s mah jongg, blended with lots of food, endless gossip and storytelling. As kids, Frankel, her sister and her cousins bet on everything—from who could hold their breath the longest underwater to which one of their mothers would lose the most weight. Frankel even frequented the track with her father and uncles, carrying the Daily Racing Form in her bookbag. When she was twelve and predicted a big race, they anointed her “The Grecian,” in honor of oddsmaker Jimmy the Greek.

But when Frankel’s father passed when she was 15, she lost all interest. By the time Frankel turned 18, she convinced herself that the gambling gene had passed her by. It wasn’t until her mid-40s when “the poker gene” really kicked in. At that point Frankel had become a successful journalist, specializing in celebrity interviews.

The book, a clever look into Frankel’s life, follows a passion for gambling that quickly turns to addiction, leading her to understand “hats and eyeglasses,” the famous phrase one of her uncles used to describe those times when you’re losing so bad you feel like you’re on a sinking ship, and all that floats to the surface are hats and eyeglasses.

For more information call 570/409-1212 or visit hotelfauchere.com.