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Essays.
Literary Criticism.
Sociology.
Nonfiction.
HTML:From public radio This American Life contributor and self-described "history nerd" Sarah Vowell comes a collection of humorous and personal essays investigating American history, pop culture and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. /> In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell travels through the American past and in doing so ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?
Her essays confront a wide range of subjects, themes, icons, and historical moments: Ike, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton; Canadian Mounties and German filmmakers; Tom Cruise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; twins and nerds; the Gettysburg Address, the State of the Union, and George W. Bush's inauguration.
The result is a teeming and engrossing book, capturing Vowell's memorable wit and her keen social commentary.… (más)
(2002)A series of essays written after the 9-11 tragedy come from Sarah's heart as she explores her patriotism and growing up in America. Dry humor and insight make this a fun read.School Library Journal:These essays and commentaries from Vowell's NPR radio appearances and other sources are curmudgeonly, critical, liberal, and, often, laugh-out-loud funny. The commentator, a self-described history nerd, wanders across the spectrum of American life from the theme-park feeling of Salem, MA, where she purchased a Witch's Crossing shot glass, to the glories of Carlsbad Caverns and the Underground Luncheonette. She belongs to a political listserv that was aghast at the results of the 2000 election, yet, joining several of the members on a road trip to protest the Inauguration, she ended up weeping as she sang the "Star-Spangled Banner." Her commitment to America and her dismay about the current direction of the government, both before and after September 11, are strongly stated, but her wit and slightly quirky outlook make reading her book a pleasure. Teens, regardless of their political leanings, will enjoy the pop-culture connections and even learn some history while smiling at her delivery. This title will work well for assignments on essay writing and even provide material for monologues.
This is really a political book, with Democrats being “good” and Republicans being “bad.” She compares herself to Rosa Parks. She spends several pages fawning over the television show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
Better to spend your precious reading time somewhere else. ( )
This is the third book of essays that I've read by Sarah Vowell, though it is one of her older ones. There wasn't really a central theme here as much as in some of her other stuff -- it was a mix of 20th century presidential campaigns, lesser-known historical landmarks, some political interludes, and personal anecdotes. Vowell is known for her nerdy love of history, and indeed, that shines through in this book as well. But I actually found myself more drawn to some of the non-history portions of this book. And of course, it wouldn't be a true Sarah Vowell experience without listening to this on audio, which I did. That's really the only way to go with her works. Her voice is certainly unique and always initially a bit irksome, but her deadpan humor & tone easily grow on the reader. ( )
Sarah Vowell is a gem of a satirist. This is a very funny book, with a unique voice. Highlights include: Tom Cruise Makes Me Nervous, The First Thanksgiving, and Dear Dead Congressman.
The Audio Book is voiced by Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Sarah Vowell and others. I would love to hear it.
I'm looking forward to seeking out more of Sarah Vowell's work. Her debut, "Take the Cannoli" was a great read as well.
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
After every great battle, a great storm. Even civic events, the same. On Saturday last, a forenoon like whirling demons, dark, with slanting rain, full of rage; and then the afternoon, so calm, so bathed with flooding splendor from heaven's most excellent sun, with atmosphere of sweetness; so clear, it show'd the stars, long, long before they were due. As the President came out on the Capitol portico, a curious little white cloud, the only one in that part of the sky, appear'd like a hovering bird, right over him. -Walt Whitman, witnessing Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, Memoranda During the War
Dedicatoria
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
To Amy
Primeras palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
There are children playing soccer on a field at Gettysburg where the Union Army lost the first day's fight.
Citas
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
When you have a baby around, the baby is the movie. We occupy an entire entertaining hour just on drool, nonnarrative drool.
On the other hand, there are few creepier moments in cultural tourism than when a site tries to rewrite its past.
The more history I learn, the more the world fills up with stories.
I was such a young fogy that growing up involved becoming less mature.
California is about the good life. So a bad life there seems so much worse than a bad life anywhere else. Quality is an obsession there— good food, good wine, good movies, music, weather, cars. Those sound like the right things to shoot for, but the never-ending quality quest is a lot of pressure when you’re uncertain and disorganized and, not least, broker than broke. Some afternoons a person just wants to rent Die Hard, close the curtains, and have Cheerios for lunch.
But Gore appeals to the real me, the one who can still sing a song from college German class about which prepositions to use with the accusative case—“Durch, für, gegen, ohne, um: Akkusativ.”
Adolescent nerds across the country must be shuddering now that a jock is in charge of the dreaded President’s Physical Fitness Exam.
What we need is a president who is at least twelve kinds of nerd, a nerd messiah to come along every four years, acquire the Secret Service code name Poindexter, install a Revenge of the Nerds screen saver on the Oval Office computer, and one by one decrypt our woes.
Últimas palabras
Información procedente del conocimiento común inglés.Edita para encontrar en tu idioma.
Essays.
Literary Criticism.
Sociology.
Nonfiction.
HTML:From public radio This American Life contributor and self-described "history nerd" Sarah Vowell comes a collection of humorous and personal essays investigating American history, pop culture and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell travels through the American past and in doing so ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?
Her essays confront a wide range of subjects, themes, icons, and historical moments: Ike, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton; Canadian Mounties and German filmmakers; Tom Cruise and Buffy the Vampire Slayer; twins and nerds; the Gettysburg Address, the State of the Union, and George W. Bush's inauguration.
The result is a teeming and engrossing book, capturing Vowell's memorable wit and her keen social commentary.
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