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.
Share confidential news tips with The Post
Latest from Petula Dvorak

It takes dozens of people to replace one mom, and we forget that

Maeva Ikias had a baby as a college student, then lost her mother. Ikias has “grown from things that were meant to break me," she said.

May 11, 2023

Is D.C. crime bad enough to bring the Guardian Angels back? They think so.

The D.C. Guardian Angels — with their red berets and military stance — are back on the Metro after a spike in crime. Most folks are happy with the '80s throwback.

May 8, 2023

In America, we’re really good at ignoring the people in the middle

In America, we’re really good at ignoring the people in the middle

May 4, 2023

Are you there, God? It’s today’s teen girls, and they need help.

Margaret Ann Simon couldn’t really exist today.

May 1, 2023

Is borscht okay to eat? The politics of D.C.’s gastro diplomacy.

D.C. diners, attuned to geopolitics, want to eat their values.

April 27, 2023

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