Sarah Vowell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sarah Vowell
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Vowell in August 2007
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Sarah Jane Vowell
December 27, 1969 Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Years active | 1987–present |
Sarah Jane Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American writer, historian, and actress. She is known for her books about American history and culture. She has written seven non-fiction books. From 1996 to 2008, she was a contributing editor for the radio show This American Life. Many people also know her as the voice of Violet Parr in the 2004 animated movie The Incredibles and its 2018 sequel, Incredibles 2.
Contents
About Sarah Vowell
Early Life and Education
Sarah Vowell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on December 27, 1969. When she was eleven, her family moved to Bozeman, Montana. She has a twin sister named Amy.
Sarah went to Bozeman High School. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree from Montana State University in 1993. She studied Modern Languages and Literature there. Later, in 1999, she earned a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Art History. She received this degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Her Career as a Writer
Sarah Vowell's articles have appeared in many popular magazines and newspapers. These include The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Esquire. She also wrote regularly for the online magazine Salon.com.
Her first book, Radio On: A Listener's Diary (1997), was about her experience listening to the radio for a year. This book caught the attention of Ira Glass, the host of This American Life. This led to Sarah becoming a frequent guest on the show. Many of her essays later became subjects for her books.
Her first collection of essays was Take the Cannoli (2000). After that, she released The Partly Cloudy Patriot (2002).
Books on American History
In 2005, Vowell wrote Assassination Vacation. This book describes a road trip she took to places related to the murders of presidents Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley.
Her book The Wordy Shipmates (2008) explores the story of the Puritans who settled in America. It also looks at their impact on American history.
In 2011, Vowell wrote Unfamiliar Fishes. This book talks about the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Newlands Resolution. It became a New York Times Bestseller in April 2011.
Her most recent book is Lafayette in the Somewhat United States (2015). This book tells the story of the Marquis de Lafayette. He was a French aristocrat who became a trusted officer and friend to George Washington during the American Revolutionary War.
Public Appearances and Lectures
Sarah Vowell has appeared on several television shows. These include The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
She has also given many lectures. In 2006, she was a main speaker at the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. She also toured the United States to support children's reading centers.
Voice Acting and Other Work
Sarah Vowell is well-known for her voice acting. She provided the voice of Violet Parr in the 2004 Pixar animated movie The Incredibles. She returned to voice Violet again in the sequel, Incredibles 2, in 2018. She also voiced the character in related video games and Disney on Ice shows.
The director of The Incredibles, Brad Bird, heard Sarah's voice on This American Life. He thought her voice was perfect for the shy character of Violet. Pixar even made a test animation using her voice from that radio show.
Sarah also wrote and appeared in a short documentary called "Vowellett – An Essay by Sarah Vowell." This documentary was included on The Incredibles DVD. In it, she talked about the difference between writing history books and voicing a superhero.
She has also appeared in other documentaries and TV shows. These include a documentary about the band They Might Be Giants and an episode of the HBO show Bored to Death.
Personal Life
Sarah Vowell has some Cherokee Nation ancestry. She has traced the path of the Trail of Tears with her twin sister, Amy. The Trail of Tears was the forced removal of the Cherokee people from their homes. In 1998, This American Life shared her story about this journey.
Sarah often spends vacations visiting historical sites with her sister and nephew. She lives in Manhattan, New York. She is also on the advisory board of 826NYC. This is a non-profit center in Brooklyn that helps students aged 6–18 with tutoring and writing.
Selected Books by Sarah Vowell
- 1997 – Radio On: A Listener's Diary
- 2000 – Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World
- 2002 – The Partly Cloudy Patriot
- 2005 – Assassination Vacation
- 2008 – The Wordy Shipmates
- 2011 – Unfamiliar Fishes
- 2015 – Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
Film and Television Roles
Film Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2004 | The Incredibles | Violet Parr | Voice |
| 2010 | Please Give | Shopper | |
| 2018 | Incredibles 2 | Violet Parr | Voice |
Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Colbert Report | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Bored to Death | Journalist | |
| 2011, 2013, 2015 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Herself | Special guest |
| 2015 | Conan | Herself | Special guest |
Video Game Roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Violet Parr | |
| 2018 | Lego The Incredibles |
See also
In Spanish: Sarah Vowell para niños
