The Gist: Alexandra Petri on awkward silences, and context for church burning stories.

Why the Daughters of Elected Officials Become Comedians

Why the Daughters of Elected Officials Become Comedians

A daily news and culture podcast with Mike Pesca.
July 2 2015 6:18 PM

Awkward Silence Is Our Polio

When Alexandra Petri decided to become a writer, she worried that she wasn’t interesting enough. Her solution? Craigslist.

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How far would you go for a memorable experience?

From the cover of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences.

Listen to Episode 290 of Slate’s The Gist:

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Kristin Gore, Tallulah Bankhead, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth are all known for their comedic writings and the daughters of elected officials. Add to that list the Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri. She’s the daughter of Wisconsin Rep. Tom Petri and author of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences. For the Spiel, some numbers to consider alongside stories of church burnings.

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Mike Pesca is the host of the Slate daily podcast The Gist. He also contributes reports and commentary to NPR.