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.

Meaning of the quote

This quote is about the author Sarah Vowell discovering that Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of President Abraham Lincoln, was present at the first three presidential assassinations in US history. Vowell was interested in writing about the Lincoln Memorial, and learning that Robert Todd Lincoln attended the memorial's dedication ceremony helped her focus her writing on that topic.

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 about the author

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

What are you hiding? No one ever asks that.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

I’m a big fan of editing and keeping only the interesting bits in.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

Relics are treasured as something close to the divine.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, Robert Lincoln bought a nice ski lodge.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

Jesus and Lincoln, Moses and Jefferson can seem so long gone, so unbelievable, so dead.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

Assassins and presidents invite the same basic question: Just who do you think you are?

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

I seem to have no problem revealing my crush on the man who murdered Lincoln.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

My audience is going to die before I do.

Sarah Vowell

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.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator

Most people don’t like to talk about violent historical death.

Sarah Vowell

American author, journalist, singing songs and social commentator