Colman McCarthy is a journalist, teacher, lecturer, pacifist, a self-proclaimed anarchist and long-time peace activist. From 1969 to 1997, he wrote columns for The Washington Post. His topics ranged from politics, religion, and sports to education, poverty, and peacemaking. The Washingtonian magazine called him "the liberal conscience of The Washington Post." The Smithsonian magazine said he is "a man of profound spiritual awareness." He has written for The New Yorker, The Nation, The Progressive, Atlantic Monthly, and The Readers Digest. Since 1999, he has written bi-weekly columns for The National Catholic Reporter.