Pledged Author Alexandra Robbins to Discuss Her Perceptions of Greek Life in April 24 Lecture

April 4, 2006

April 4, 2006, Greencastle, Ind. - Alexandra Robbins' bestselling book has been called "[An] often startling study of college sororities" by the Washington Times. On Monday, April 24 at 8 p.m., Robbins -- author of Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities -- will come to the campus of DePauw University for an 8 p.m. lecture. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Lilly Center, 702 South College Avenue.

"Robbins' account of life inside the sorority house... makes for fascinating reading," wrote Booklist of Pledged. The book "tells of Robbins accounts as she disguised herself as a 19-year-old college student and appointed four sorority members to let her in on the secret lives of sororities," notes Vanessa Connolly in a recent article published in Virginia's Roanoke Times. "She focused on the pressures that sorority members were under, from romance to finance."

In 1999, at age 23, Robbins garnered attention and acclaim for being the reporter who successfully dug up George W. Bush's grades at Yale for the New Yorker. Since then, she's become a best-selling author. Her other books include Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power; Quarterlife Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties; and, most recently, Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis: Advice From Twentysomethings Who Have Been There and Survived.

Alexandra Robbins is a journalist who was formerly on the Washington, D.C. staff of the New Yorker magazine. She has written for a variety of other publications, including Atlantic Monthly, the Washington Post, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, and Salon. Robbins regularly appears in the national media on shows such as 60 Minutes, Today, Oprah!, and NPR's Diane Rehm Show. E. J. Dionne Jr., syndicated columnist and author of Why Americans Hate Politics calls Robbins "a bold new voice and a superb reporter with an eye for the good story."

Elle Girl calls Pledged "better than reality TV -- it's riveting," while Washington Monthly describes Robbins' examination of the sorority system "fascinating and eye-opening... an astonishing slice of American life."

Robbins was originally scheduled to speak at DePauw last spring, but the event was cancelled. Her April 24 visit is sponsored by DePauw's Panhellenic Council.

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