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Alexandra Petri

Washington, D.C.

Columnist offering a lighter take on the news and opinions of the day

Education: Harvard College, BA in English, Classics Secondary Field

Alexandra Petri is a Washington Post columnist offering a lighter take on the news and opinions of the day.

Petri is the author of "A.P.'s US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up)" and the essay collections "Nothing Is Wrong And Here Is Why" and "A Field Guide to Awkward Silences." She joined The Post as an intern in 2010 after graduating from Harvard College.
Latest from Alexandra Petri

Chat with Alexandra Petri and tell her your jokes

Alexandra's live chat with readers starts at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Submit your questions now.

September 24, 2024

Does this go too far? I was taking your jokes.

Alexandra’s live chat with readers started at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Read the transcript.

September 17, 2024

Every time JD Vance tells a story, a sinkhole swallows 30 people

This is the story I must tell to raise awareness.

September 17, 2024
Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance delivers remarks to a crowd in Byron Center, Mich., on Aug. 14. (Kristen Norman for The Washington Post)

We said we’d take abortion ‘to the states’ — not the people in them!

We regret to inform you we have rejected your petition due to unprecedented scrutiny.

September 13, 2024
Perhaps the book in this stock photo will help explain why! (iStock)

The Trump-Harris debate, summarized

Vice President Harris, introduce yourself. President Trump, say things a normal person would say.

September 11, 2024
People watch the ABC News debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in West Hollywood. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Any thoughts on zeugma? I was taking your jokes.

Alexandra’s live chat with readers started at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Submit your questions now.

September 10, 2024

The Wonderful Trump Headline Machine

Everything makes sense now.

September 6, 2024
Former president speaks at the Economic Club of New York on Thursday. (David Dee Delgado/AFP/Getty Images)

Do you have an all-time favorite fictional character? I was taking your jokes.

Alexandra’s live chat with readers started at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. Read the transcript.

September 3, 2024

The Harris-Walz CNN interview, summarized

Harris: My values have not changed. I still don’t approve of fracking, but I still need the votes of Pennsylvanians.

August 30, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash in Savannah, Ga., on Aug. 29. (Will Lanzoni/CNN)

JD Vance writes a rom-com

The man saw the female looked fertile. He would tell her about the Great Replacement Theory, and how they must combine their genetic material.

August 30, 2024
Republican vice-presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) engages in a business transaction to acquire toroid treats at Holt's Sweet Shop on Aug. 22 in Valdosta, Ga. (Gary McCullough/AP)