Writers Form PAC for Liberal Candidates

NEW YORK – Dave Eggers, Jane Smiley and Daniel Handler, aka "Lemony Snicket," are among the members of the newly formed LitPAC, a coalition of authors that plans readings around the country to register voters and raise money for liberal candidates in this year's congressional elections.

"We feel we can raise $75,000 in hard money for congressional candidates, at $5,000 apiece," says LitPAC executive director Stephen Elliott, who has written four novels and a political memoir, "Looking Forward to It."

"We're not George Soros; we're not going to make a massive impact. But if you ask any non-incumbent candidate if $5,000 is a big chunk of money, they'll tell you it's a very big chunk of money."

Other LitPAC authors include Mary Gaitskill, whose "Veronica" was a finalist for the National Book Award, Tobias Wolff, Rick Moody and Anthony Swofford.

In 2004, Elliott organized a similar program, the Progressive Reading Series.