John Avlon

John Avlon
Avlon in South Carolina, June 2012
Born	John Phillips Avlon 1973 (age 43–44)
Alma mater	Yale University Columbia University
Occupation	Author, columnist, Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of The Daily Beast
Spouse(s)	Margaret Hoover (m. 2009)
Website	johnavlon.com

John Phillips Avlon (born 1973) is an American journalist and political commentator who is editor in chief and managing director of The Daily Beast and a CNN political analyst. He is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics, which critically appraises both traditional American centrism and the more recent radical centrism. He is also the author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America. Former President Bill Clinton said that the book Wingnuts "offers a clear and comprehensive review of the forces on the outer edges of the political spectrum that shape and distort our political debate. Shedding more heat than light they drive frustrated alienated citizens away from the reasoned discourse that can produce real solutions to our problems." In January 2017 Avlon released his latest book, "Washington's Farewell: The Founding Father's Warning to Future Generations", in which he highlights the history and content of Washington's parting treatise to the American people in the context of the contemporary political climate. Avlon has also been a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun and chief speechwriter for former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Avlon is the son of Dianne Alexander (Phillips) and John Jeffrey Avlon, a lawyer, of South Carolina. He is of Greek descent. He was educated at Milton Academy (also known as Milton), a coeducational, independent preparatory, boarding and day school in Milton, Massachusetts, and received his bachelor's degree from Yale University and an MBA from Columbia University. Avlon was the youngest and longest-serving speechwriter in the Giuliani Administration as well as Deputy Communications Director. His work included helping prepare the Mayor's State of the City Addresses for 1999 through 2001.