Sarah Vowell
Sarah Jane Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American historian, writer, journalist, radio personality, social commentator, and actress. She has written seven nonfiction books on American history and culture. Vowell was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio International from 1996 to 2008, where she produced commentaries and documentaries.
Sarah Vowell

Tammy Lo (tammylo) · Flickr · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Sarah Vowell
- Birth Name
- Sarah Jane Vowell
- Born
- 27 December 1969
- Birthplace
- Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
- Education
- * Montana State University (BA)
- Occupation
- * Historian
- Full name
- Sarah Jane Vowell.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Known for
- The Incredibles and The Partly Cloudy Patriot.
- Languages
- English.
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Sarah Jane Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American historian, writer, journalist, radio personality, social commentator, and actress. She has written seven nonfiction books on American history and culture. Vowell was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio International from 1996 to 2008, where she produced commentaries and documentaries.
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wikidata · Q452147 · wikipedia · Sarah Vowell
In this article
Biography
Biography
She was the voice of Violet Parr in the 2004 animated film The Incredibles and its 2018 sequel.

Sarah Vowell signing books after a lecture at Lamar Univ. in Beaumont, Texas
Loren-zo
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Sarah Vowell • Birth Name — Sarah Jane Vowell • Born — 27 December 1969 • Birthplace — Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. • Citizenship — * American • Cherokee Nation • Education — * Montana State University (BA) • School of the Art Institute of Chicago (MA) • Occupation — * Historian • Writer • journalist • social commentator • actress • Years Active — 1987–present
Early life and education
Early life and education
Sarah Vowell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on December 27, 1969. She has Swedish, Scottish and Cherokee ancestry. She states that she is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Her family moved to Bozeman, Montana when she was eleven. She has a fraternal twin sister, Amy. Vowell graduated from Bozeman High School. She earned a BA from Montana State University in 1993 in Modern Languages and Literature, and an MA in Art History from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999.
Writing
Writing
Vowell's articles have been published in The Village Voice, Esquire, Spin Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, SF Weekly, and The Washington Post. She has been a regular contributor to the online magazine Salon, and was one of the original contributors to McSweeney's, participating in many of the literary journal Timothy McSweeney's Quarterly Concerns readings and shows. Vowell's first book, Radio On: A Listener's Diary (1997), which featured her year-long diary of listening to the radio in 1995, caught the attention of This American Life host Ira Glass, and it led to Vowell becoming a frequent contributor to the show. Thereafter, segments on the show became the subjects for many of her subsequent published essays. Vowell's first essay collection was Take the Cannoli (2000), which was followed by The Partly Cloudy Patriot (2002). In 2005, Vowell served as a guest columnist for The New York Times during several weeks in July, briefly filling in for Maureen Dowd. She again served as a guest columnist in February 2006. Her book Assassination Vacation (2005) describes a road trip to tourist sites devoted to the murders of presidents Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield and William McKinley. Vowell's book, The Wordy Shipmates (2008), analyzes the settlement of the New England Puritans in America and their contributions to American history. Also in 2008, Vowell's essay about Montana appeared in the book State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America. Vowell wrote Unfamiliar Fishes (2011), which discusses the Overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the Newlands Resolution. In April 2011, the book became a New York Times Bestseller. In her Los Angeles Times review, Susan Salter Reynolds wrote that Vowell's "cleverness is gorgeously American: She collects facts and stores them like a nervous chipmunk, digesting them only for the sake of argument." Allegra Goodman, writing in The Washington Post, describes the work as "a big gulp of a book, printed as an extended essay... Lacking section or chapter breaks, Vowell's quirky history lurches from one anecdote to the next. These are often entertaining, but in the aggregate they begin to sound the same...", adding that "Vowell tells a good tale" with "shrewd observations", but that "the narrative wears thin where casual turns cute and cute threatens to turn glib." Her most recent book is Lafayette in the Somewhat United States (2015), an account of the Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat who became George Washington's trusted officer and friend, and afterward an American celebrity. In a review for The New York Times, Charles P. Pierce wrote, "Vowell wanders through the history of the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath, using Lafayette's involvement in the war as a map, and bringing us all along in her perambulations… and doing it with a wink." NPR reviewer Colin Dwyer wrote, "It's awfully refreshing to see Vowell bring our founders down from their lofty pedestals. In her telling, they're just men again, not the gods we've long since made of them."
Voice and acting work
Voice and acting work
Vowell provided the voice of Violet Parr, a shy teenager, in the 2004 Pixar animated film The Incredibles, and returned to her role for the film's sequel, Incredibles 2, in 2018. She voiced the character in related video games, and for Disney on Ice presentations. Director Brad Bird heard Vowell on This American Life, "Guns", (in which she and her father fire a homemade cannon) and determined that Vowell's voice fit the character. Pixar made a test animation for Violet using audio from that sequence, which was included on the DVD of The Incredibles. Vowell wrote and was featured in a documentary included on the same DVD, entitled "Vowellett – An Essay by Sarah Vowell", in which she reflects on the difference between being an author of history books on assassinated presidents and voicing the superhero Violet, and on what the role meant to her nephew. Vowell featured prominently in the 2002 documentary about the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, entitled Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns, and she appeared with band members John Linnell and John Flansburgh in the DVD commentary for the movie. She provided commentary for the April 2006 episode "Murder at the Fair: The Assassination of President McKinley," one of ten in the History Channel miniseries 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America. In September 2006, Vowell appeared as a minor character in the ABC drama Six Degrees. She appeared in an episode of HBO's Bored to Death, as an interviewer in a bar, and in 2010, appeared briefly in the film Please Give, as a shopper. Vowell appeared on The Daily Show as a Senior Historical Context Correspondent.
Personal life
Personal life
Vowell writes that she has a small amount of Cherokee Nation ancestry (about 1/8 on her mother's side and 1/16 on her father's side). She retraced the path of the forced removal of the Cherokee from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma, known as the Trail of Tears, with her twin sister Amy. In 1998, This American Life chronicled her story, devoting the entire hour to her work. Vowell spent many vacations with her sister and nephew visiting historical sites. As a child she attended church three times a week and seldom travelled. Vowell does not drive and is an avid public transit user. She has described herself as a "culturally Christian atheist". Vowell lives in Manhattan, New York. She is on the advisory board of 826NYC, a nonprofit tutoring and writing center for students aged 6–18 in Brooklyn.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2006–2007 — Six Degrees — Edie — 2 episodes • 2006 — The Colbert Report — Herself — 1 episode • 2009 — Bored to Death — Journalist • 2010 — Lafayette: The Lost Hero — Herself — Documentary • 2011 — Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Special guest • 2011, 2013, 2015 — The Daily Show with Jon Stewart • 2011 — Last Call with Carson Daly • The Tavis Smiley Show • 2015 — Conan • 2016 — Well Read V • 2018 — The Who Was? Show — Episode: "George Washington & Marco Polo" • 2022 — Dicktown — Various voices — Episode: "The Mystery of Meg's Extremely Violent and Inappropriate Musical" • 2024 — LEGO Pixar: BrickToons — Violet Parr (voice) — Episode: "Pizza Night"
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2004 — The Incredibles — Violet Parr • 2004 — The Incredibles: When Danger Calls • 2012 — Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure • 2013 — Disney Infinity — Credited as Sara Vowell • 2014 — Disney Infinity 2.0 • 2015 — Disney Infinity 3.0 • 2018 — Lego The Incredibles • 2024 — Disney Speedstorm
Theme parks
Theme parks
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2018 — Incredicoaster — Violet Parr — Voice
Identity
Identity
Sarah Vowell is recorded as journalist, actress, writer and historian. Recorded at birth as Sarah Jane Vowell.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1969
Sarah Vowell was born in 1969 at Muskogee.
Public appearances, lectures, and oral histories
• Illustration — Vowell signing books after a lecture at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas, 2010 Vowell has appeared on television shows including Nightline, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Show with David Letterman, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In April 2006, Vowell served as the keynote speaker at the 27th Annual Kentucky Women Writers Conference. In August and September 2006, she toured the United States as part of the Revenge of the Book Eaters national tour, which benefited the children's literacy centers 826NYC, 826CHI, 826 Valencia, 826LA, 826 Michigan, and 826 Seattle. Vowell provided commentary in Robert Wuhl's 2005 Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl HBO specials. In 2021, Vowell participated as an interviewer in the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention Delegates oral histories.
Selected published works
• 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
Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1987 — End of the Line — Diner Waitress — Uncredited • 1999 — Man in the Sand — Herself — Documentary • 2002 — Gigantic — Herself • 2004 — The Incredibles — Violet Parr — Voice • 2010 — Please Give — Shopper • 2011 — Hit So Hard — Herself — Documentary • 2013 — A.C.O.D. — Lorraine • 2018 — Incredibles 2 — Violet Parr — Voice
Short film
Short film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2005 — Vowellet – An Essay by Sarah Vowell — Herself, writer, archive footage — Included as a bonus feature to The Incredibles on home media; details Vowell's voice work during the film while also writing Assassination Vacation and how her This American Life writing/narration earned her the role of Violet.
Literature
Literature
Literature
Sarah Vowell, 100 Most Popular Nonfiction Authors, 2007
The Wordy Shipmates
Scholarly footprint
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Sarah Vowell Visits SAIC as Distinguished Alumni Lecturer.
- 2.Vowell, Sarah 1969– | Encyclopedia.com. encyclopedia.com.
- 3.Hill, Corbie. Our country may be divided, but we shouldn't beat ourselves up about it, author Sarah Vowell says. newsobserver.com. October 9, 2017.
- 4.https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/70389/12-things-you-didnt-know-about-sarah-vowell
- 5.Weber, Liz. Virtual convocation welcomes MSU's class of 2024. Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 27 August 2020.
- 6.Vowell, Sarah. America's Statue Wars Are a Family Feud. The New York Times. 16 November 2017.
- 7.Vowell, Sarah. Take the Cannoli. Simon & Schuster. April 3, 2001. 978-0743205405.
- 8.Vowell's constant.
- 9.Schmidt, Carol. Vowell's constant. Montana State University. April 30, 2010.
- 10.Sarah Vowell Visits SAIC as Distinguished Alumni Lecturer. School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
- 11.Sarah Vowell Authors The Village Voice. villagevoice.com.
- 12.Vowell, Sarah. How to Get Ketchup Out of a Bottle. Esquire. November 1, 2000.
- 13.Wilco, Summerteeth (Reprise) SPIN. spin.com.
- 14.Vowell, Sarah. Opinion How Democrats Win in My Red State (and They Do Win). The New York Times. 2020-05-17. 0362-4331.
- 15.Vowell, Sarah. The Incredible Vanishing Act of an American Icon. Los Angeles Times. 1999-01-10.
- 16.Vowell, Sarah. Suspicious Minds. SF Weekly. 1996-08-28.
- 17.Sarah Vowell. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2024/sarah-vowell-national-archives-digitization-records-smartphones The Equalizer The Washington Post, October 8, 2024.
- 18.Sarah Vowell. Salon.com.
- 19.Vowell, Sarah. Lock and Load. The New York Times. 23 July 2005.
- 20.Sarah Vowell, Guest Columnist. The New York Times. 3 February 2006.
- 21.Woodward, Richard B. 'Assassination Vacation' by Sarah Vowell. The New York Times. 15 May 2005.
- 22.Heffernan, Virginia. Mayflower Power. The New York Times. 2008-11-28. 0362-4331.
- 23.Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers. The New York Times. 10 April 2011.
- 24.Salter Reynolds, Susan. Book review: 'Unfamiliar Fishes' by Sarah Vowell: The 'Partly Cloudy Patriot' author takes on American imperialism and exceptionalism. Los Angeles Times. March 26, 2011.
- 25.Goodman, Allegra. Sarah Vowell's 'Unfamiliar Fishes,' a quirky history of Hawaii. The Washington Post. April 1, 2011.
- 26.Pierce, Charles P. Sarah Vowell's 'Lafayette in the Somewhat United States'. The New York Times. November 17, 2015. 0362-4331.
- 27.Dwyer, Colin. 'Somewhat United' Brings Lafayette Down From His Pedestal. NPR.org. October 21, 2015.
- 28.North, Anna. Sarah Vowell, Jon Stewart, And The Freedom of the Bowl Haircut. Jezebel. October 6, 2009.
- 29.Barnes & Noble Biography: Meet the writers - Sarah Vowell. Steven Barclay Agency.
- 30.University of Kentucky. Women Writers Conference Announces Creative Nonfiction Contest. October 11, 2005.
- 31.Sandomir, Richard. Robert Wuhl Is a Teacher on HBO's 'Assume the Position With Mr. Wuhl'. The New York Times. 1 April 2006.
- 32.1972 Montana Constitutional Convention Delegates oral histories - Archives West. archiveswest.orbiscascade.org.
- 33.Celestino, Mike. INTERVIEW: Acclaimed author and "Incredibles 2" star Sarah Vowell on superheroes, Disney, and America. Inside The Magic. June 11, 2018.
- 34.Ching, Albert. D23 Expo: Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios—The Upcoming Films. CBR.com. July 14, 2017.
- 35.Woulfe, Molly. Disney on Ice unmasks 'Incredibles' ice show. nwitimes.com. January 24, 2006.
- 36.Sarah Vowell. IMDb.
- 37.Litman, Juliet. The Making of Violet Parr in 'The Incredibles'. The Ringer. 2018-06-14.
- 38.Chicago Public Media. This American Life. October 24, 1997.
- 39.The Incredibles DVD Review. dvdizzy.com.
- 40.Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns). DVD Talk.
- 41."Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America" Murder at the Fair: The Assassination of President McKinley (TV Episode 2006) - IMDb.
- 42.Six Degrees (TV Series 2006–2008) - IMDb.
- 43.Bored to Death (TV Series 2009–2011) - IMDb.
- 44.Please Give (2010) - IMDb.
- 45.Sarah Vowell comes back to WBEZ. WBEZ Chicago. 2012-03-09.
- 46.107: Trail of Tears. This American Life. July 3, 1998.
- 47.https://www.today.com/popculture/sarah-vowell-npr-incredibles-wbna6529720
- 48.Vowell, Sarah. Sarah Vowell - Freedom from Religion Foundation. The New York Times. January 21, 2008.
- 49.826NYC About. 826nyc.org.
- 50.Leszczynski, Jimmy. Dicktown: John Hodgman & David Rees on Season 2, Guest Stars & More. Bleeding Cool. Avatar Press. March 3, 2022.
- 51.Sarah Vowell (visual voices guide). Behind the Voice Actors.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q452147: Sarah VowellWikimedia Foundation
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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