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. Sarah Vowell also worked on the radio show This American Life. Many people know her voice as Violet Parr from the animated movies The Incredibles (2004) and Incredibles 2 (2018).
Contents
Sarah Vowell's 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 Vowell finished high school in Bozeman.
She went to Montana State University and earned a degree in Modern Languages and Literature in 1993. Later, in 1999, she earned another degree in Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Sarah Vowell's Career as a Writer
Sarah Vowell's articles have appeared in many popular magazines and newspapers. These include The Village Voice, Esquire, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. She also wrote regularly for the online magazine Salon.com.
How Sarah Vowell Started Writing Books
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. Because of this, Vowell became a regular writer for the radio show. Many of her essays for the show later became parts of her books.
Her first collection of essays was Take the Cannoli (2000). After that, she released The Partly Cloudy Patriot in 2002.
Exploring American History in Books
In 2005, Vowell wrote Assassination Vacation. This book describes a road trip she took to places where presidents Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley were murdered.
Her 2008 book, The Wordy Shipmates, looks at the Puritans who settled in America. It explains their important contributions to American history.
In 2011, Vowell wrote Unfamiliar Fishes. This book talks about the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It also discusses the Newlands Resolution, which made Hawaii a U.S. territory. This book became a bestseller.
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 nobleman who became a trusted officer and friend to George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Reviewers praised how Vowell made historical figures seem more human.
Sarah Vowell's Public Appearances
Sarah Vowell has appeared on many TV shows. These include Nightline, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report. She often shares her historical insights on these programs.
She also gives lectures and talks. In 2006, she was a main speaker at the Kentucky Women Writers Conference. She also toured the U.S. to support children's reading centers.
Sarah Vowell's Voice and Acting Work
Sarah Vowell is well-known for her voice acting. She provided the voice for Violet Parr in the 2004 Pixar animated movie The Incredibles. She returned to voice Violet again in the 2018 sequel, Incredibles 2. She also voiced Violet in video games and Disney on Ice shows.
The director of The Incredibles, Brad Bird, heard Vowell on This American Life. He thought her voice was perfect for the shy character of Violet. Pixar even used a clip of her voice from the radio show to test the animation for Violet.
Vowell also appeared in a documentary about the band They Might Be Giants. She provided commentary for a History Channel miniseries about important moments in American history. She has also had small acting roles in TV shows like Six Degrees and Bored to Death.
Sarah Vowell's Personal Life
Sarah Vowell has some Cherokee Nation ancestry. She has explored her family's history. With her twin sister Amy, she retraced the path of the Trail of Tears. This was the forced journey of the Cherokee people from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma. This American Life dedicated an entire episode to her story in 1998.
Vowell enjoys visiting historical sites with her sister and nephew. She lives in Manhattan, New York. She is also on the board of 826NYC. This is a non-profit center in Brooklyn that helps students aged 6–18 with tutoring and writing.
Selected Published Books by Sarah Vowell
- 1997—Radio On: A Listener's Diary, ISBN: 0-312-18301-1.
- 2000—Take the Cannoli: Stories From the New World, ISBN: 0-7432-0540-5.
- 2002—The Partly Cloudy Patriot, ISBN: 0-7432-4380-3.
- 2005—Assassination Vacation, ISBN: 0-7432-6003-1.
- 2008—The Wordy Shipmates, ISBN: 1-59448-999-8.
- 2011—Unfamiliar Fishes, ISBN: 1-59448-787-1.
- 2015—Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, ISBN: 1-59463-174-3.
Sarah Vowell's Film and Television Roles
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Violet Parr | Voice role |
| 2010 | Please Give | Shopper | |
| 2018 | Incredibles 2 | Violet Parr | Voice role |
Television Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2007 | Six Degrees | Edie | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | The Colbert Report | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2009 | Bored to Death | Journalist | |
| 2011, 2013, 2015 | The Daily Show with Jon Stewart | Herself | Special guest |
Video Games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2004 | The Incredibles | Violet Parr | |
| 2018 | Lego The Incredibles |
Short Films and Theme Parks
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2005 | Vowellet – An Essay by Sarah Vowell | Herself, writer | Bonus feature on The Incredibles DVD |
| 2018 | Incredicoaster | Violet Parr | Voice for theme park ride |
Images for kids
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Sarah Vowell in 2007
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Vowell signing books in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Sarah Vowell para niños
