I didn’t come from any kind of academic background, but I lived in a college town and I knew people who weren’t without pretense. There was this idea in the town that if something was European it would be good.
Meaning of the quote
The quote suggests that Sarah Vowell, who is an American author, did not come from a scholarly family, but she lived in a college town where people often pretended to be more sophisticated than they were. In this town, people believed that anything from Europe was automatically better, even if it wasn't actually that good.
About Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell is an American historian, author, and actress best known for her work on the radio program This American Life and as the voice of Violet Parr in The Incredibles films. She has written several nonfiction books on American history and culture.
More quotes from Sarah Vowell
Not that I want the current president killed. I will, for the record and for the FBI agent assigned to read this and make sure I mean no harm, clearly state that while I am obsessed with death, I am against it.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
While I gave up God a long time ago, I never shook the habit of wanting to believe in something. So I replaced my creed of everlasting life with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Like Lincoln, I would like to believe the ballot is stronger than the bullet. Then again, he said that before he got shot.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
What are you hiding? No one ever asks that.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I’m a big fan of editing and keeping only the interesting bits in.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Relics are treasured as something close to the divine.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
The one time I was an actor, it happened to be in a globally dominant juggernaut. That was lucky.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, Robert Lincoln bought a nice ski lodge.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I hated the lost colony; in second grade, we were doing American History, and they said, We don’t know what happened to them. That drove me nuts. That lost colony drove me crazy.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Jesus and Lincoln, Moses and Jefferson can seem so long gone, so unbelievable, so dead.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Assassins and presidents invite the same basic question: Just who do you think you are?
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
The whole point of Louis Armstrong is that no one can really figure him out. There was a while where I thought you could try.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
One night last summer, all the killers in my head assembled on a stage in Massachusetts to sing show tunes.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Part of the success of This American Life, I think, is due to the fact that none of us sound like we should be on the radio. We don’t sound professional; we sound like people you would know.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I seem to have no problem revealing my crush on the man who murdered Lincoln.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
We go in to liberate Cuba, but Cuba still isn’t free; we don’t really think through what we’ll do after the initial treaty is signed, but we’re still occupying. There’s chaos and torture and finally an outcry.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I discovered that Robert Todd Lincoln was there for each of the first three assassinations. I wanted to write about the Lincoln Memorial, so when I found out he had attended its dedication, that helped focus it further.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I didn’t come from any kind of academic background, but I lived in a college town and I knew people who weren’t without pretense. There was this idea in the town that if something was European it would be good.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I get younger people who watch Conan or The Daily Show, but before that it was mostly people who knew me from public radio. Those people are kind of old.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Civil War-when I really think about them they all seem about as likely as the parting of the Red Sea.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
In death, you get upgraded into a saint no matter how much people hated you in life.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
I loved that these two guys argued with each other as if movies actually mattered. Nobody I knew talked about movies that way, but Siskel and Ebert took each movie as it came and talked about whether it was a success on its own terms.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
My audience is going to die before I do.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
History is full of really good stories. That’s the main reason I got into this racket: I want to make the argument that history is interesting.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator
Most people don’t like to talk about violent historical death.
American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator