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Original Essays | April 26, 2012

Florence Williams: IMG Breasts

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When I set out to write a book about the natural history of breasts, I knew I'd have to answer some awkward questions about my book topic. At a... Continue »
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eBook editions

The Partly Cloudy Patriot

by Sarah Vowell

The Partly Cloudy Patriot Cover

ISBN13: 9780743243803
ISBN10: 0743243803
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Only 3 left in stock at $5.95!

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Sarah Vowell travels through the American past and, in doing so, investigates the dusty, bumpy roads of her own life. In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell — widely hailed for her inimitable stories on public radio's This American Life — 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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About the Author

Sarah Vowell is a contributing editor for public radio's This American Life and has written for Time, Esquire, GQ, Spin, Salon, McSweeneys, The Village Voice, and the Los Angeles Times. She is the author of Radio On, Take the Cannoli, and The Partly Cloudy Patriot. She lives in New York City.
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Table of Contents

Contents

What He Said There

The First Thanksgiving

Ike Was a Handsome Man

God Will Give You Blood to Drink in a Souvenir Shot Glass

The New German Cinema

Democracy and Things Like That

Pop-A-Shot

California as an Island

Dear Dead Congressman

The Nerd Voice

Rosa Parks, C'est Moi

Tom Cruise Makes Me Nervous

Underground Lunchroom

Wonder Twins

Cowboys v. Mounties

The Partly Cloudy Patriot

State of the Union

Tom Landry, Existentialist, Dead at 75

The Strenuous Life

Acknowledgments

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 5 comments:
Lisa Brown, March 21, 2011 (view all comments by Lisa Brown)
part anecdotal american history, part autobiographical sketch comedy, "partly cloudy" is certain to please chuck klosterman/jon stewart/stephen colbert/david sedaris/augusten burroughs fans alike. definitely has more to offer nerds of a more pop cultural bent than your average history buff, but a quick, fun read for all.
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Aaron Edwards, January 15, 2010 (view all comments by Aaron Edwards)
This book is great for one struggling with what they've been told to believe vs what they actually believe. And hey, its Sarah Vowell, so its a very entertaining read!
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Shoshana, July 20, 2009 (view all comments by Shoshana)
I want to like this collection of (mostly) political essays more than I do. I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy it much--Vowell's thinking jumps and associates amusingly, her topics are coherent and interesting, and her writing is usually fine, if sometimes also unremarkable. When I've heard Vowell speak, I've found her funny. Whatever the reason, this simply didn't appeal.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780743243803
Author:
Streeter, Katherine
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster
Author:
Streeter, Katherine
Subject:
General
Subject:
History
Subject:
United States - General
Subject:
Americana
Subject:
National characteristics, american
Subject:
Popular Culture - General
Subject:
General Current Events
Subject:
General Literary Criticism & Collections
Subject:
United States Politics and government.
Subject:
US History-General
Copyright:
2003
Edition Description:
B102
Publication Date:
October 2003
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
YES
Pages:
224
Dimensions:
8.44 x 5.5 in 7.14 oz
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Related Subjects

History and Social Science » American Studies » General
History and Social Science » Sociology » American Studies
History and Social Science » Sociology » General
History and Social Science » US History » General
Humanities » Literary Criticism » General
Languages » Foreign Languages » Spanish » Humanities » Literary Criticism » General

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