Arthur Allen

Health Editor, Politico

Becoming editor of eHealth at Politico marked Allen’s return to the newsroom after 18 years of solitude (apologies to Gabriel Garcia Marquez). As a freelancer beginning in 1996, he wrote for publications and websites such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Republic, Slate.com, Landscape Architecture, Global Health Matters, Science and Mother Jones. He also wrote three books, the last of which, “The Fantastic Laboratory of Dr. Weigl,” comes out in July 2014 (buy your advance copy now!) Once upon a time, when the hairs on Allen’s head were as numerous as pissants on a melon stalk, he was a wire service reporter. He toiled for The Associated Press for the better part of 13 years, including stints in El Salvador, Mexico and Germany. Allen is married to Margaret Talbot; their son heads off to college soon but for now they still have the company of a teenage daughter with impeccable taste in music and style. During Allen’s non-wage earning hours, he may be found playing pickup basketball, studying Polish, reading 19th century novels, or hunting fruitlessly for morels and other edible mushrooms.