Martha Stewart gets through her 'Yale' experience

NEW YORK (AP) _ Martha Stewart's euphemism for prison in West Virginia was to call it ``Yale.'' <br/><br/>She explained her coping mechanism in an appearance last night in New York on David

Tuesday, September 20th 2005, 9:13 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ Martha Stewart's euphemism for prison in West Virginia was to call it ``Yale.''

She explained her coping mechanism in an appearance last night in New York on David Letterman's ``Late Show.''

She appeared on the show to promote her two new T-V shows. The former convict said she accepted her five-month prison sentence for lying to authorities about a stock deal instead of waiting for the appeal because she wouldn't have been able to do her shows with the uncertainty.

Stewart's new daytime talk show premiered last week and her prime-time role in ``The Apprentice'' begins tomorrow.

While she says the prison experience was horrifying, Stewart said it taught her how strong she was.

She says she didn't allow herself to get depressed.

Stewart said she can't remember her first day at the women's federal prison in Alderson, West Virginia, at all.

She says her fellow inmates told her she was walking around in a daze.

Stewart says her fellow inmates were mostly friendly, although she heard some remarks behind her back.