John Kelly

Washington, D.C.

Local columnist

Education: University of Maryland, BA in English

John Kelly writes John Kelly's Washington, a daily look at Washington's less-famous side. Born in Washington, John started at The Post in 1989 as deputy editor in the Weekend section. Since then, he has edited Weekend, founded KidsPost and been a general assignment reporter in Metro, and he has done journalism fellowships at Harvard and Oxford.
Latest from John Kelly

This ‘smart’ bird feeder will beam feathered selfies to your phone

No one needs a $200 Bird Buddy, but the photos are cool.

May 14, 2023

Let her eat cake? Answer Man whips up a traditional simnel.

Simnel cakes are an English tradition for Easter and Mother's Day.

May 13, 2023

Readers share their theories of how buildings get their names

Names can seem corny, but sometimes they inspire architects.

May 10, 2023

You definitely don’t wish you were here: Postcards in the age of covid

Postcards have always spread news of current events. A single postcard can appeal to myriad types of collectors.

May 9, 2023

A black bear made a beeline for honey-filled hives in Rockville

Cocaine Bear may have gotten all the attention earlier this year, but over the weekend it was Honey Bear who was the star of a suburban Maryland neighborhood.

May 8, 2023

What’s in a name? When it comes to new buildings, a lot.

Theory, Intersect, the Aleck — are these D.C. buildings or movie titles?

May 7, 2023

In 1911, Americans got excited about another coronation: George V’s

The British loved poking fun at the visiting Americans and their "twang."

May 5, 2023

Dolphins once swam in downtown Washington — and across the country

A North Carolina entrepreneur furnished Porpoise Land in downtown D.C. with a pair of dolphins.

May 5, 2023

A spoon full of ingenuity: Fishing for shad with a D.C.-born lure

Bob Nungesser was a French immigrant who changed shad fishing.

May 3, 2023

Delaying tactics: A highway sign sends me on a contemplative journey

The Beltway sign warned there would be delays. But why?

May 1, 2023