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.

April 30, 2024

‘Kristi, darling, I understand completely,’ by Cruella De Vil

You kill a single measly ill-behaved puppy, and everyone rushes to judgment!

April 29, 2024
The wretched hounds deserve it!

Congrats on buying Operation: Post-Roe! Here are the board game FAQs.

Introducing your new co-players: state legislators!

April 25, 2024
Introducing a new patient — Cavity Samantha — plus the chance to play with state legislators!

What was Romeo and Juliet’s favorite fruit? I was taking your jokes.

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

April 23, 2024

Tortured poets discuss Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

Here’s what Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe thought.

April 22, 2024
Bottles of a violet ink named in honor of poet Emily Dickinson in Organics Studio in Brunswick, Md., on Sept. 27. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

Did Donald Trump dream this?

You jolt awake in this Manhattan courtroom.

April 18, 2024

How does the moon cut his hair? I was taking your jokes.

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

April 16, 2024

I have some better questions for potential Trump jurors

Is it possible to find someone who does not have strong opinions about Donald Trump?

April 15, 2024
Former president Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team on Monday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The Time Travelers’ Wives

“I must tell you my horrible secret: I travel into the past.”

April 11, 2024
A man enters the Arizona Supreme Court building on Wednesday in Phoenix. (Matt York/AP)