Reliable Source: PEN/Faulkner gala is a politics-free zone this year

Given the shutdown in Washington, we expected some scathing commentary at the PEN/Faulkner gala Monday. But no, writers at the 25th anniversary dinner steered clear of politics -- unlike 2008, when Terry McMillan tore into John McCain and Sarah Palin, or last year, when Elissa Schappell weighed in on religion and abortion.