Sarah Vowell: "An astrologer once told..."

"An astrologer once told me, 'You suffer from what's called a geographic.' A geographic is when a person walks around thinking that where he lives will make his life better. The astrologer said, 'Let me tell you, life is about an emotional connection to people and things and it doesn't matter where you are on the globe.'"

—Sarah Vowell, The Partly Cloudy Patriot (The Strenuous Life)

Sarah Vowell: "Walking in New York...

"Walking in New York is a battle of the wills, a balance of aggression and kindness. I'm not saying it's always easy... But I believe all that choreography has made me a better person."

—Sarah Vowell, The Partly Cloudy Patriot (The Partly Cloudy Patriot)

Sarah Vowell: "Neither snow, nor rain..."

"'Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.'"

—Sarah Vowell, The Partly Cloudy Patriot (The Partly Cloudy Patriot), quoting the U.S. Postal Service credo

Sarah Vowell: "American history is a..."

"American history is a quagmire, and the more one knows, the quaggier the mire gets."

—Sarah Vowell, The Partly Cloudy Patriot (The Partly Cloudy Patriot)

Sarah Vowell: "The Brits don't apologize..."

"The Brits don't apologize for being knowledgeable. In fact, they're a little disdainful of you for not doing your homework. And in America, doing your homework is the most uncool thing in the world."

—Sarah Vowell, The Partly Cloudy Patriot (The Nerd Voice, Part II)