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Empty Mansions: Huguette Clark

The Spending of a Great American Fortune

Reclusive heiress Huguette Clark was an eccentric of the highest order, a last jewel of the Gilded Age who lived life on her own terms. Author Bill Dedman talks about this mystery of wealth and loss.

"Empty Mansions" is a nonfiction mystery of wealth and loss — and a secretive heiress named Huguette Clark. Though she owned palatial homes in Santa Barbara and Connecticut and New York, why had she lived for twenty years in a simple hospital room, despite being in excellent health? "Empty Mansions" unravels the story of her remarkable family, from the father, W.A. Clark, the copper king, founder of Las Vegas, and controversial U.S. senator, to his daughter, the generous artist who held a ticket on the Titanic and was still living in New York City on 9/11. Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Bill Dedman, who discovered Huguette's story for NBC News, has collaborated with Huguette Clark's cousin, Paul Clark Newell, Jr., one of the few relatives to have conversations with her.

"Empty Mansions" is part of Coffee Time Talks, an educational program series for adults to encourage lifelong learning. Programs run from 11 a.m. to noon, and attendees are encouraged to stay through 1 p.m. to socialize with fellow patrons and enjoy some refreshments.

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