Writers and Charity: Dirty Money?

Posted on October 3, 2004

Bestselling author Erica Jong has an interesting essay in the New York Times today about writers, money and charities. She points out that when someone famous writes a book, he is generally expected to give a portion of the proceeds to charity. For example, Hillary Rodham Clinton's proceeds from It Takes a Village -- $840,000 in 1996 and '97 alone was donated to charity. The copyright to Dear Socks, Dear Buddy was given to the National Park Foundation, which said the money will go to maintain federal parks and the White House.

Ms. Jong writes that President George W. Bush and his father, President George H. W. Bush, President Ronald Reagan and President Jimmy Carter all chose to donate some of their royalties to charity, as has Lynne Cheney. But given the fact that most writers make under $100,000 per year (much of it from non-writing related sources), the author wonders "But why this need to give away writing income at all? Is it because political figures are best-selling authors only by accident, so the public should share in the bounty they helped create?" Something to ponder.

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