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Sarah Vowell

Sarah Vowell Quotes

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Sarah Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American author, journalist, and voice actress known for her humorous and insightful nonfiction works. She was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and grew up in Bozeman, Montana. Vowell is celebrated for her unique take on American history, blending personal anecdotes with historical analysis. Her notable books include 'Assassination Vacation' and 'The Wordy Shipmates.' She also voiced the character 'Mirage' in the animated film 'The Incredibles.' Vowell has contributed to The New York Times and regularly appears on the radio show 'This American Life.' Her writing style is witty, ironic, and deeply humanistic, exploring themes of identity, memory, and national identity.

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All Knows People Ifs Thinking Want America Bunch President Radio Stills War Way Canada Has Beens Ideas Looks Mean Mind Persons Records

Famous Sarah Vowell Quotes

“The only people who know about me are people who would know about me.”

Author:Sarah Vowell

“Except for the people who were there that one day they discovered the polio vaccine, being part of history is rarely a good idea. History is one war after another with a bunch of murders and natural disasters in between.”

People Ideas War Natural One Day Murder Disaster Bunch Good Ideas Vaccines Natural Disaster Polio Polio Vaccine

Book:Assassination Vacation

Source: Assassination Vacation

“The people who visit the [Lincoln] memorial always look like an advertisement for democracy, so bizarrely, suspiciously diverse that one time I actually saw a man in a cowboy hat standing there reading the Gettysburg Address next to a Hasidic Jew. I wouldn’t have been surprised if they had linked arms with a woman in a burka and a Masai warrior, to belt out ‘It’s a Small World After All,’ flanked by a chorus line of nuns and field-tripping, rainbow-skinned schoolchildren”

“The only thing more dangerous than an idea is a belief. And by dangerous I don't mean thought-provoking. I mean: might get people killed.”

People Mean Ideas Might Belief Dangerous Thought Provoking Provoking

Book:The Wordy Shipmates

Source: The Wordy Shipmates

“Part of the success of This American Life, I think, is due to the fact that none of us sound like we should be on the radio. We don't sound professional; we sound like people you would know.”

People Thinking Knows Should Facts Success Sound Radio Dues Congratulations American Life

Author:Sarah Vowell

“There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who alphabetize their record collections, and the kind who don't.”

People World Kind Two Records Collections

Book:The Partly Cloudy Patriot

Source: The Partly Cloudy Patriot

“There are people who look forward to spending their sunset years in the sunshine; it is my own retirement dream to await my death indoors, dragging strangers up dusty staircases while coughing up one of the most thrilling phrases in the English language: 'It was on this spot…' My fantasy is to one day become a docent.”

People Years Looks Dream Language My Own Fantasy One Day Stranger Spending Spots Phrases Sunset Sunshine Retirement Thrilling English Language Staircases Coughing Docents

Author:Sarah Vowell

“I get younger people who watch Conan or The Daily Show, but before that it was mostly people who knew me from public radio. Those people are kind of old.”

People Kind Shows Watches Radio Conan Daily Show Public Radio

Author:Sarah Vowell

“In death, you get upgraded into a saint no matter how much people hated you in life.”

People Matter Saint Hated

Book:Assassination Vacation

Source: Assassination Vacation

“I didn't come from any kind of academic background, but I lived in a college town and I knew people who weren't without pretense. There was this idea in the town that if something was European it would be good.”

People Ifs Kind Ideas Would Be College Towns Be Good Backgrounds Academic Pretense Pretension

Author:Sarah Vowell

“Most people don't like to talk about violent historical death.”

People Historical Violent Violent Death

Author:Sarah Vowell

About the Author

Born: December 27, 1969
Known for: Author
Quotes: 110

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Books & Sources

Assassination VacationRelated source material

The Partly Cloudy PatriotRelated source material

The Wordy ShipmatesRelated source material

Unfamiliar FishesRelated source material

Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New WorldRelated source material

Take the CannoliRelated source material

Radio On: A Listener's DiaryRelated source material

Lafayette in the Somewhat United StatesRelated source material

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