The ex-Barron's reporter who wrote about Madoff

Jon Friedman of Marketwatch writes Friday about former Barron’s reporter Erin Arvedlund, who has recently published a book on convicted investor Bernie Madoff.

Friedman writes, “In her book, Arvedlund is shying away from the sociological implications of the scandal and concentrating on explaining to readers how Madoff turned his once-legitimate business into a huge fraud.

“‘The two missing pieces were finding the really old people’ who could talk about the origins of the fraud ‘and how (the company) produced these phony statements,’ Arvedlund said.

“What resulted was a page-turning narrative. Like many authors, Arvedlund became happily obsessed with her work. This kind of drive can help authors persist when they feel discouraged by the weight of the work or head cold or family distraction. Of course, it also can result in a strange way of life for the author.

“‘I talk about these people like they’re my family,’ Arvedlund laughed. She set aside a specific part of her Philadelphia home where she would be free of Madoff, at least for a moment or two.”

Read more here.Â