Alexandra Petri, the long-time humor columnist at The Washington Post and now at The Atlantic, is a master of holding the powerful to account with her wit. Winner of the 2025 Thurber Prize for American Humor for her book, AP’s US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up), she’s also an award-winning playwright. To paraphrase Dave Barry, despite stiff competition from Congress, she’s “the funniest person in Washington.”

Bruce Handy began his prolific career at Spy, the iconic and much-missed humor magazine. He was also an Emmy- nominated writer at Saturday Night Live. Currently a Vanity Fair contributing writer, his essays, reviews and humor pieces have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker and others. He’s the author of six books, and Publisher’s Weekly has described his writing as “spirited, perceptive, and just outright funny.”

Ledia Xhoga is a writer whose work encompasses literary fiction, short stories and comedic plays. Her debut novel, Misinterpretation, was long listed for the 2025 Booker Prize; it also received a New York City Book Award and was a finalist for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Debutiful called it “a gorgeously book that combines humor and suspense.” Her comedic plays are distinguished by their spirit-lifting effects.

Brian Fitzsousa is a pianist with the Metropolitan Opera. A composer and music director, he coaches and performs with opera, musical, cabaret and pop singers. He directs music and performs at venues including Joe’s Pub, and Rockwood Music Hall. A graduate of NYU and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, he received fellowships from the European American Musical Alliance and the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism.