Caira Conner

On a recent spring evening in New York, people gathered at an underground venue in SoHo to hear Laverne Cox (of Orange is the New Black fame) and transgender activist CeCe McDonald discuss art as a vehicle to transform culture, especially in…

Feels like just yesterday Russia’s humid, Black Sea hotspot won the bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, but here we are — seven years and $51 billion dollars later — at Sochi's opening ceremony. In a pre-Game session with the International Olympic…

Tom Barnes is fascinated by how music changes over time, and his writing about it attempts to anticipate where it is going next. In his own music and fiction, the characters he sketches grapple with similar questions about the possibilities and…

One of my favorite things about this column is I can never predict what sort of responses I'm going to get when I ask pundits what they do in their spare time. Danielle Paradis' eclectic mix of activities is no exception. Our pundit of the week (and…

Matthew Rozsa is a Pennsylvania patriot, a self-proclaimed history nerd, and our thoughtful politics pundit of the week.  As part of the "pundit of the week" column, we spotlight one PolicyMic-er to share personal experiences with our community, and…

Mai Nardone was raised in Bangkok, Thailand, by an American father and a Thai mother. He came to the U.S. for his undergraduate degree, studying international politics and economics, and then completed an MFA in fiction writing. He dabbles in…

Senti Sojwal claims her wildest PolicyMic dreams have already come true (see below re: a story on Hanna Rosin), but we have a feeling good things are just getting started for this identities writing superstar. Who is Senti Sojwal? She's an…

Mark your calendars, D.C. PolicyMic heads to Georgetown University on Monday, November 11 for its first 3 on 3 debate, addressing whether the Religious Right is hurting or helping the GOP.  D.C. is home to 200+ pundits, nearly two thirds of which…

Sure, our writers like to hear from us about how well they're doing on PolicyMic. But sometimes it's nice to hear from other media outlets about how great an article is —  (kind of like when someone besides your mom gives you a compliment). We get…

Michael Shammas was exceptionally nervous the first time he submitted an article to the PolicyMic editorial queue (weren't we all?). Now he's a seasoned pro, a breaking news writer, and, as pundit of the week, eager to discuss why having to use your…

Editor's note: This story is part of a community-oriented, weekly article series in which Community Manager Caira Conner discusses how to get the most out of PolicyMic. Here's something you don't know, (probably because I've never announced it): My…

Jared Milrad has worked in the White House, advocated for civil rights and economic justice, and founded a program to bring access to legal services for those who can't otherwise afford it. He's also our exceptional pundit of the week, candidly…

What happens when you're accidentally copied in on an internal PolicyMic listserv? For starters, you probably receive a lot of GIFs, but you may just become one of our top politics pundits. Robinson O'Brien-Bours is a gifted writer, entrepreneur and…

Editor's note: This story is part of a community-oriented, weekly article series in which Community Manager Caira Conner discusses how to get the most out of PolicyMic. As community manager, I hear a lot of good stuff when I ask our pundits about…

Daniela Ramirez is a full-time feminist, part-time karaoke booth deliverer (yes) and all-around exceptional pundit of the week. She discusses her thoughts on being a white woman of color, making the most of PolicyMic, and why being unemployed after…

Editor's note: This story is part of a community-oriented, weekly article series in which Community Manager Caira Conner discusses how to get the most out of PolicyMic. Wednesdays at PolicyMic are a good time. We drink coffee, we send around camel…

Drew Miller is dedicated to the idea that we should take nothing at face value. He believes any idea should be subjected to evaluation, and is interested in the way political correctness often blurs or obscures the truth.  He’s also careful to…

Editor's note: This story is part of a community-oriented, weekly article series in which Community Manager Caira Conner discusses how to get the most out of PolicyMic. Fact: When I was 22 years old, I wanted to get paid to write. I pinned all my…

Alexander de Avila is committed to the idea that there is no monopoly on who can solve the political problems of the day. He's interested in exploring how technology, government and citizens will interact in the future, and as PolicyMic pundit of…