Sarah Vowell is a well-known American author, journalist, humorist, and commentator. She is often referred to as a "social observer" and has made a name for herself through her insightful and thought-provoking books on American history and culture. Vowell has authored several bestselling books and is a regular contributor to the radio program This American Life on Public Radio International.
Vowell earned a B.A. in Modern Languages and Literatures from Montana State University in 1993 and an M.A. in Art History at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1996. She received the Music Journalism Award in 1996. Vowell's writing has been published in various prominent publications such as The Village Voice, Esquire, GQ, Spin, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the SF Weekly. She has also been a regular contributor to the online magazine Salon and participated in many of the quarterly’s readings and shows.
Vowell's work often explores American history and its impact on contemporary society. Her New York Times’ bestselling books include Unfamiliar Fishes, The Wordy Shipmates, Assassination Vacation, The Partly Cloudy Patriot, Take the Cannoli, and Radio On. In Unfamiliar Fishes, she delves into the takeover of Hawaii's property and politics by white missionaries from the United States and American plantation growers, ultimately resulting in a Coup d'état, restricted voting rights for nonwhites, and forced statehood for the small chain of islands. Meanwhile, The Wordy Shipmates examines the New England Puritans and their journey to and impact on America, focusing on the polar extremes of the American foundation.
Assassination Vacation, one of her most well-known books, describes a road trip to tourist sites devoted to the murders of presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Through this book, Vowell examines what these acts of political violence reveal about our national character and our contemporary society. Additionally, she has written two essay collections, The Partly Cloudy Patriot and Take the Cannoli, and her first book, Radio On: A Listener's Diary, is a year-long diary of listening to the radio in 1995.
In addition to her writing, Vowell has also lent her voice to various projects. She was the voice of Violet in the animated film The Incredibles and a short documentary, VOWELLET - An Essay by SARAH VOWELL in the "Behind the Scenes" extras of The Incredibles DVD Release. In 2005, she served as a guest columnist for The New York Times during several weeks in July, briefly filling in for Maureen Dowd. Vowell also served as a guest columnist in February 2006, and again in April 2006. In 2008, she contributed an essay about Montana to the book State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America.