Fall 'Hoot' to feature Petula Dvorak of the Washington Post, Nov. 2

"America really loathes Washington right now, and that's preposterous: Our Town has done nothing wrong. . . . America, you sent these guys here. They represent plenty of you, none of us. That imported brand of cuckoo is what's causing this government shutdown."

Those claw-sharp, Owl-like words come from Petula Dvorak, columnist for The Washington Post, who will be the featured guest at the fall Silver Owls "Hoot" at noon Saturday, Nov. 2. Owls obviously can wipe out cuckoos, so it should be a lively session.

The event features a cash bar, followed by a sit-down lunch featuring the Owls' favorite of roast beef with the trimmings, or a vegetarian dish if you prefer. The cost is $35.

Dvorak will speak following lunch.

Before becoming a Metro columnist at The Washington Post in 2009, Dvorak covered crime, justice and the disconcerting back-stories of the people, families and communities that show up on police blotters. She did this for a decade at The Post, and before that in New Orleans for The Times-Picayune.

She also made stops at The Trentonian in New Jersey, the Los Angeles Times, The Wichita Eagle, the former Yugoslavia and The Prague Post after graduating from journalism school at the University of Southern California. She didn’t see the nice part of town in any of those places.

Dvorak is the mother of two little boys and lives with her husband, also a journalist, in Washington D.C.

The Fall Owls 'Hoot' is open to all members of the National Press Club and their guests. The Owls is an organization of senior members of the Club, including Silver Owls (25 years of membership),Golden Owls (50 years) and Platinum Owls (60 years).

To register, click here. For questions about your registration, contact at 202-662-7501 or [email protected].