ABOUT US
Liz Darhansoff
Liz founded her eponymous agency in 1975 after spells at Atheneum, Random House, and ICM. In 1989, she partnered with Chuck Verrill and together they solidified a reputation among publishers for representing quality writers and lasting work. Currently, she tends to her established stable of writers and is closed to submissions.
Chuck Verrill
Chuck spent ten years as an editor at Viking Penguin before joining Liz on the agency side of the industry. He expanded DVA’s profile with his experience across genres, a keen eye for nonfiction, and his long tenure as Stephen King’s agent. He died on January 9, 2022 and is profoundly missed.
Michele Mortimer
Michele started her publishing career in rights at Scholastic, took a brief hiatus to earn her MFA in Fiction at NYU, and expanded her DVA role from freelance reader to senior literary agent in the following years. She remains the point person for serial rights and permissions as she grows her list for readers of all ages. For more about her taste and sensibility, please visit her Publishers Marketplace page.
Eric Amling
Eric joined DVA as office manager and now serves as our full-time business director. He remains the point person for foreign rights and media requests. He takes on select projects, preferring contemporary fiction, poetry, psychological thrillers, children’s books, and cookbooks.
Jenny Lewis
Jenny joined as an associate agent in 2026. She began her publishing career as an intern at Writers House before working with Sobel Weber Associates and WW Norton. She’s actively growing both her children’s and adult lists—across genres, she has a particular bent towards works that are voice-driven, immersive, and combine humor with a razor-sharp bite.