Writers are generally a destitute bunch, but there are some exceptions. I amused myself earlier today by looking a bunch of them up on Huffington Post's Fundrace tool to see which candidates they supported with their money. First, click here to see what those identifying their occupation as "novelist" contributed to presidential/political campaigns. The search brings up one or two other familiar names. (Jay McInerney--$2,300 to Giuliani, for example.) And raises the question--how does someone you've never heard of have the liquid cash to contribute $4,600 if his/her occupation is "novelist"? (And what about the "poets" who give thousands?) I imagine it's like when I say I'm a "writer" even though fiction writing accounts for only a paltry fraction of income.
Also, Fundrace only reliably tracks contributions over $200. (For example, I gave $75 to Obama but searching "Antosca" doesn't yield any results.)
Here are a few other writers and writing-related people, most of whom do not appear in the above search:
Jean Auel--$2,300 for Clinton.
Judy Blume-- $2,300 for Obama and $2,300 for Richardson.
Geraldine Brooks-- $2,300 for Obama.
Michael Chabon-- $4,600 for Obama.
Deepak Chopra-- $4,600 for Clinton.
Dennis Cooper (same one?)-- $4,600 for Obama and $2,300 for Clinton.
Nelson DeMille--$1,200 for Giuliani.
Dave Eggers--$2,300 for Obama.
Jonathan Safran Foer-- $1,108 for Obama.
Jonathan Franzen-- $500 for Obama.
John Grisham-- $4,600 for Clinton and $1,000 for Obama.
Sara Gruen--$258 for Obama.
Daniel Handler-- $2,300 for Obama.
John Hodgman--$250 for Obama.
Tabitha King--$2,000 for Chris Dodd.
Dean Koontz-- $4,600 to Mitt Romney and $2,300 to Fred Thompson.
Nicole Krauss-- $1000 for Obama.
Tim LaHaye-- $2,300 for Huckabee.
David Mamet-- $4,600 for Chris Dodd.
Terry McMillan-- $2,300 for Obama.
Claire Messud--$300 for Obama.
David Milch (of Deadwood)-- $2,300 for Obama.
(no Toni Morrison?)
Walter Mosley-- $4,600 for Clinton.
Gloria Naylor-- $2,700 for Obama.
Susan Orlean-- $2,300 for Clinton.
Sara Paretsky--$586 to Edwards, $250 to Obama, $250 to Clinton.
Marisha Pessl-- $450 for Clinton.
Bradley Pierson--$475 for Ron Paul.Richard Preston-- $2,300 for Obama.
Anne Rice-- $4,600 for Clinton.
Marilynne Robinson-- $1,000 for Obama.
Jane Smiley-- $500 for John Edwards.
Amy Tan-- $4,600 for Clinton.
Binky Urban (super agent)-- $2,000 for Obama.
Vendela Vida--$700 for Obama.
Ayelet Waldman-- $4,652 for Obama. (isn't that $52 over the limit?)
Jennifer Weiner--$500 for Clinton.
Connie Willis--$277 for Obama.
If you find ones I didn't think of, put them in the comments.