Sarah Vowell

So, there I was, checking the Technorati website to see who had and had not linked to us over at Hillbilly Savants - its been awhile since I updated said list, cause, you know. Dissertation.

Whatever.

So, one of the blogs I found was, bizzy-zizzy, this one - Jape's Japes. It is pretty cool - from what I can tell the author and his family have recently moved to Southwest Virginny - goodtimes. Well, that said, in a recent blog, he scrawled out this exciting quote:

Why I love Sarah Vowell.

I know. Nothing dramatic. But there was empathy, and has to count for something. Well, I clicked on the associated link and yes, it led me to a "letter" from Ms. Vowell to a dead Senator. Intriguing.

Here's the part where I go off. Sarah Vowell? Easily one of the best writers and storytellers alive. And, while I have written blog entries about the absolute best radio program currently in production, This American Life, well, Jape made me realize that yeah, I have been remiss. Ms. Vowell deserves her own, full-scale entry.

By the by, I should tell you what I love about Sarah Vowell. First, she is so cynical and sarcastic and caustic that it reminds me of Arab mythology. That's right. Arab mythology. According to traditional Arab beliefs (at least in some states - according to stuff I read once somewhere - probably) human beings were made, by the Deity, from the earth, the Jinn (Genies) were made from fire, and angels were made from light. Kinda' cool - vaguely alchemical. Anyway, if this is and/or were the case, I would merely say this: Sarah Vowell was made from acid. Like the Aliens.

Oh, and Abraham Lincoln's DNA.


Long story. Read enough of her stuff, or what the extra features from Disney's The Incredibles. Whatever.


Regardless, he is brilliant, hilarious, and simply cutting. When I finish my PhD, get a teaching job, and once more have the opportunity to write for the sake of art, well, I can tell you she is definitely going to be that person that people are all like, dude, you write like her. Which is nice. Her understanding of history and politics is equalled only by the degree to which she is in touch with American society - pop and otherwise. She writes, and speaks, with incredible sincerity. I have, quite literally, had to stop the car from laughing too hard at her monologues on multiple occasions, and I have cried, just a little, listening to the same artistic medium. Is she a raving liberal? Yeah, she is. But she was also born in Oklahoma. I don't know how that balances things out, but it does - quite enough that my moderate, fence-rail-sitting sensibilities are never rankled.

I do go on. Well, here are some links for you. First and foremost, you have to hit up This American Life (Wikipedia throws us this bone with a list of most of her appearances). Just scroll down through the list of old shows - you'll find Sarah's name coming up over and over again. Other samples of Sarah's storytelling include this excerpt from NPR, this Hearing Voices special,

Looking for essays and other written work? Well, of course you can check out her books, but if you're in the mood for something more immediate, I recommend this obituary from Timothy McSweeney's (for Tom Landry), a whole slew of essays from Salon, and her wry op-ed work at the New York Times.

As for interviews, dig this one from Identity Theory, great jonx from The Daily Show, this one from Survival Kit, a dollup from Powell's, and of course this one from Barnes & Noble's Meet the Writers.

[Pause for drama.]

You're addicted now, aren't you? Its just like Nancy Reagan warned us - you taste the good stuff and you'll sell your Aunt Flo to get more. That's a vague reinterpretation, of course. Anyway, you're gonna' want to know if she's coming to your town, right? Well hit her lecture agent over at Steven Barclay Agency. . . they'll tell you when she's coming to your town. If you're on the coast. Cause mainly, that seems to be where she goes. Big water.

This is just crazy.


In conclusion, I would like to make one more point - Sarah Vowell the contemporary manifestation of the spirit-being that formerly was constituted in Samuel Clemens aka Mark Twain. Awesome.