Annabelle Gurwitch

Writer and actress Annabelle Gurwitch currently prognosticates on both politics and pop culture on National Public Radio's Day to Day. Her column Fired Up appears regularly in The Nation, and her essays have appeared in publications including the Los Angeles Times, Glamour, Child, Premiere, and Penthouse.

As an actress, her 2003 work Off-Broadway earned her a place in the New York Times top ten performances of the year list. Other appearances include years of co-hosting Dinner and a Movie on TBS, films like Melvin Goes to Dinner and The Shaggy Dog. On television, she's appeared on Boston Legal, Seinfeld and, most recently, on Lifetime's State of MInd and The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman on IFC.

Fired!, her collection of stories about being made redundant, published by Simon and Schuster, was deemed "a merry compendium of failure" by the Washington Post is now available in paperback. The movie version of Fired! earned kudos from the Chicago Tribune, Oprah, Business Week, and continues to be shown in screenings sponsored by AFL/CIO, SEIU. The AP pronounced it, "a frank and funny look at downsizing and job loss" and the New York Times called it "ramshackle," which surprised Annabelle as she had always thought the word was "ramashackle."

Paris/Britney Campaign Blowback

August 6, 2008

John McCain got more than he expected, with an ad comparing Obama to Paris Hilton. The blowback is just beginning.
Dump the Junk

July 15, 2008

It takes a lot of work, but it's possible to go green. Start with stopping your junk mail.
Happily Never After

May 22, 2008

Gay and ready to tie the knot? Take some advice from a couple of heteros: marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Poor Is the New Rich!

May 6, 2008

As waves of poverty wash over the once-affluent, it's nice to know that you can share the pain.
Worst News of the Year

March 31, 2008

Here's what's gone wrong so far--and it's only April.
Are We There Yet?: A Liberal Votes in California

February 12, 2008

Who knew provisional voting could be a teaching moment?
How Do You Like Me Now?

January 10, 2008

If Hillary wants Americans to like her, she should start doing the things Americans like.

2007

Why I Won't Be Invited to Mitt Romney's White House

December 12, 2007

My top-ten list of reasons why I gave God the old heave-ho.
Taxaholics Anonymous

November 28, 2007

My name is Annabelle, and I love paying taxes.
More Money, Les Moonves

November 13, 2007

Seen, heard and observed on the picket line in Los Angeles as the WGA strike enters its second week.
All Trick, No Treat!

October 31, 2007

Will spec factory jobs be the next stage in US economic development?
Sick Kids' Laugh Riot

October 16, 2007

Dear Congressional Democrats: Here's a funny story about what it's like to have a really sick kid, even if you do have insurance.
Against Happiness

October 3, 2007

Women are less happy than we used to be. But given the state of the world, perhaps if we had a little more worry and a little less happy, we'd be better off.
The Times They Are A-Changin'

September 20, 2007

Politics aside, a speeded-up primary season may be a unique opportunity to rethink our notions of time altogether.
End of the Affair

August 6, 2007

The Nation Cruise drops its final anchor and its highly politicized passengers head for home.
Whatever These People Are On, I Want Some

July 31, 2007

Who knew what kind of people would be drawn to hop a cruise ship plying the glacial waters off the coast of Alaska to talk about--politics?
I Didn't Throw Ralph Nader Overboard

July 29, 2007

In her latest shipboard dispatch, one passenger resists fear of global warming, is charmed by Rocky Anderson and manages not to do what so many others have contemplated.
Scary Movie: Captivity's Ad Campaign

May 9, 2007

I joined the protest of a terribly offensive poster for the horror flick Captivity, which resulted in its being taken down. Was that a good thing?
When Even a Sponge Feels the Squeeze

April 13, 2007

Working people have more in common with a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea than the picture painted of job growth by the Bush Administration.