Included in The Best American Essays 2009
is Michael Lewis's account of living in a mansion in New Orleans. A mansion that ultimately evicts him. It's really a fun tale and worth a read. He describes his definition of upper middle class:

Upper middle class: That’s how I’ve always thought of myself. Upper
middle class is the class into which I was born, the class to which I
was always told I belonged, and the class with which, until this
moment, I’d never had a problem. Upper middle class is a sneaky
designation, however. It’s a way of saying “I’m well-off” without
having to say “I’m rich,” even if, by most standards, you are.
Upper-middle-classness has allowed me to feel like I’m not only
competing in the same financial league as most Americans—I’m winning!
Playing in the middle class, I have enjoyed huge success.

A political scientist wins the Nobel Prize in Economics. 

Desperate for work.