Petula Dvorak

Washington, D.C.

Local columnist

Education: University of Southern California

Petula Dvorak is a columnist for The Washington Post's local team who writes about homeless shelters, gun control, high heels, high school choirs, the politics of parenting, jails, abortion clinics, mayors, modern families, strip clubs and gas prices, among other things. Before coming to The Post, she covered social issues, crime and courts in New Orleans, New Jersey and Los Angeles. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California and the mother of two boys.
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Latest from Petula Dvorak

We’re a nation bristling with guns and no room for mistakes

More guns because of fear, fear because there are so many guns.

April 24, 2023

For today’s kids, Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ isn’t an old story.

Student performers from the schools Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) derided as “inmate factories” don't have to dig deep to understand “Animal Farm.” They're living it.

April 17, 2023

The Covid ritual these Washingtonians won’t give up

These Washingtonians built a community by meeting in a Foggy Bottom alley. They just had their 150th gathering.

April 13, 2023

Virginia’s GOP AG says D.C.’s crime problem is Virginia’s problem. Duh.

In an effort to join his Congressional counterparts and politicize D.C.'s challenges, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares accidentally made a salient point.

April 10, 2023

To combat child sex abuse, this lawmaker deploys a searing story: His own.

C.T. Wilson faced his demons — and made a law.

April 6, 2023

One Va. official says drag queens hurt kids. She’s missing the real threat.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears went on national television saying she doesn't want lap dances and pole dances for kids in Virginia schools. None of that happens.

April 3, 2023

These mothers of Black feminism had one big thing in common — D.C.

Black feminists — who started restaurant sit-ins, reproductive justice movements, bus seat arrests — did this in D.C. Their histories are finally being told.

March 30, 2023

This mom decided to tell the story of her trans son. She nearly lost him.

With anti-trans legislation mounting across the country, trans people and their families are sharing their stories to fight back.

March 27, 2023

Parents’ rights? How about a ‘Parents’ Bill of Responsibilities’ instead?

The Parents Bill of Rights Act is a political smoke screen shielding parents who've been absent from their kids' schools and have shunned their responsibilities.

March 23, 2023

The Monday-est of Mondays: A car fire, good Samaritans, the best of U.S.

It was the Monday-est of Mondays, as Donald Trump's call for protests weighed heavily on my mind.

March 20, 2023