The Opposition…

The Partly Cloudy Patriot

Sarah Vowell

Discussion: 2002-July-Aug-Sep

Why we're reading this: September 12, 2002; July 14, 2004
[close] September 12, 2002; July 14, 2004

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 3 topics — 3 comments total

2002-July-Aug-Sep

This topic has been closed to new comments.

* September 2002
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 12 views

last updated Feb 14, 2011 04:48PM

* August 2002
By Tiffany , WristStrong · 1 post · 10 views

last updated Feb 14, 2011 04:43PM

What Members Thought

Mar 01, 2015 Judy rated it really liked it

Sarah Vowell is a natural storyteller and her talent is immediately apparent in this collection of radio segments from NPRs "This American Life" and from magazine contributions. Vowell has a unique perspective which I totally embrace. She muses, for example, that while many people think of Abraham Lincoln as the American Jesus, she notices that he has a little Mayor Daley mixed into his DNA. Vowell doesn't hide her political beliefs, but she retains a sense of reality and balance. In discussing Sarah Vowell is a natural storyteller and her talent is immediately apparent in this collection of radio segments from NPRs "This American Life" and from magazine contributions. Vowell has a unique perspective which I totally embrace. She muses, for example, that while many people think of Abraham Lincoln as the American Jesus, she notices that he has a little Mayor Daley mixed into his DNA. Vowell doesn't hide her political beliefs, but she retains a sense of reality and balance. In discussing Bill Clinton's failures as president--and she admits that she is a huge fan--she notes that voters in the Congressional election of 1994 punched the names of Republican candidates on their voting machines with one hand while using the other hand to give Clinton the finger. And she tells readers that President Nixon's face on television was her first memory. It was during the Watergate hearings and young Sarah Vowell thought that those hearings were a regular television show like Bonanza, Ed Sullivan, or Scooby-Doo. After visiting Nixon's Presidential Library--she has made trips to all of the presidential libraries--she reflected that while she thought Watergate was a horror and the Vietnam War was wrong that it is useful to remember that "those decisions, even the most deadly ones, were made, not by a supernatural monster, but by a real man whom we elected, a man who at least believed he was right." That's something that many Americans, myself included, should remember in these very partisan times. In exploring patriotism, Vowell wonders why she is drawn to places of bloody struggles such as Gettysburg and Salem ("Twenty innocent people were executed in Salem during the witchcraft hysteria of 1692, which is horrifying, but manages to make for a surprisingly nice weekend getaway."). She was also deeply upset by the results of the 2000 presidential election and went to the inauguration to protest. And yet she found herself sobbing as she stood on the National Mall surrounded by thousands of people singing the Star-Spangled Banner. I like Vowell's ability to stand back and dissect her own political attitudes and her love of her country shines through. An amazingly enjoyable read. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 09, 2018 Tiffany rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: essays, recommendedby-a

A decent set of essays, mostly with the theme of the U.S./U.S. history/patriotism/"patriotism."

This one was better than Radio On, and about on par with Take the Cannoli, maybe even a little better. ...more

1 like · Like · see review