The Stranger Suggests
Reading
Sarah Vowell
It's not that Sarah Vowell's first few books—Take the Cannoli and Radio On—were bad; they were really, really funny. But when the NPR commentator (and sometimes animated superhero) started writing books about American history, like Assassination Vacation (a road trip to presidential assassination sites) and this month's The Wordy Shipmates (about Puritans and their sexy, sexy secret lives), she found her calling. Vowell tells us where we are by exploring—hilariously—where we've been. (Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 800-838-3006. 7:30 pm, $5.)
PAUL CONSTANT
Did anyone else listen to her on KUOW this morning? It was one of the most awkward, uncomfortable interviews I've ever heard. Her contempt for Steve Scher was palpable over the airwaves. Not that I'd fault anyone for disliking Steve Scher, but it wasn't really a good plug for her book, either.
Her interview on the Daily Show last week was classic. "If the eastern seaboard is American enough for Al Qaeda, then it should be American enough for Republicans."
All I heard on KUOW this morning was them begging for my money. I already gave you my car, bitches, what more do you want from me?
Seriously. KUOW's constant appeals for money make them tough to listen to in the mornings. I bailed months ago and now use my cheapass secondhand Shuffle.
To nitpick: Sarah Vowell's radio work is on This American Life, a show distributed by Public Radio International, a competitor to NPR. So she's not, strictly speaking, an "NPR commentator."
I picked up Assassination Vacation on iPod for a long car trip this summer, and I was stunned by how unceasingly whiny she is. Not about politics or history especially, but everything. From car rides to food to boat trips, the whole thing was like listening to a hypochondriac acquaintance describe their recent allergy test.
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