Sarah Bird
Encyclopedia
Sarah Bird is an American novelist, screenwriter, and journalist. She was born in 1949 in Ann Arbor, Michigan
. Her father was an officer in the US Air Force, and her family (a "Catholic family of eight" ), including her mother, Colista Bird, travelled with him around the US and the world during her childhood. Sarah's mother recognized signs of her daughter's creative storytelling talent as young as kindergarten.
She attended the University of New Mexico
, earning a BA
there in 1973. Moving to the University of Texas at Austin
, she went on to receive an MA
in journalism
there in 1976.
. She is married to George Jones, and has one son, Gabriel Bird-Jones, born in 1989. The family lives in Austin, Texas
.
During the mid-eighties, Bird was a founding contributing-editor to Austin's Third Coast Magazine, for which she wrote numerous feature and humor articles.
Bird's first published novel was Do Evil Cheerfully, a mystery (as Sarah McCabe Bird).
In 1986, her comic novel The Alamo House was published based on her experience as a graduate student at the University of Texas.
Bird wrote five romance novels between writing Alamo House and Boyfriend School - these were published under the pseudonym Tory Cates. Bird later wrote the screenplay
for the movie Don't Tell Her It's Me
(1990, starring Shelley Long
and Steve Guttenberg
), adapting the Boyfriend School novel.
The Boyfriend School was published by Ballantine in 1989 and The Mommy Club in 1991, were both humorous novels drawing on Bird's life experiences. In addition to novels, Bird has written screenplays for television and magazine articles for national women's magazines. She writes a column for Texas Monthly
. Virgin of the Rodeo was published in 1999.
Bird was named Austin's best author in 2001 by the Austin Chronicle
, the year she also published The Yokota Officers Club, a novel that draws on her experiences as military brat
. She has also written screenplays for the National Geographic Channel
and Hallmark
, as well as the CBS
movie "Yesterday's Children."
Another novel, The Flamenco Academy, came out in 2006. A new novel, How Perfect Is That, was published by Knopf in June 2008.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Her father was an officer in the US Air Force, and her family (a "Catholic family of eight" ), including her mother, Colista Bird, travelled with him around the US and the world during her childhood. Sarah's mother recognized signs of her daughter's creative storytelling talent as young as kindergarten.
She attended the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
, earning a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
there in 1973. Moving to the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, she went on to receive an MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
there in 1976.
. She is married to George Jones, and has one son, Gabriel Bird-Jones, born in 1989. The family lives in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
During the mid-eighties, Bird was a founding contributing-editor to Austin's Third Coast Magazine, for which she wrote numerous feature and humor articles.
Bird's first published novel was Do Evil Cheerfully, a mystery (as Sarah McCabe Bird).
In 1986, her comic novel The Alamo House was published based on her experience as a graduate student at the University of Texas.
Bird wrote five romance novels between writing Alamo House and Boyfriend School - these were published under the pseudonym Tory Cates. Bird later wrote the screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for the movie Don't Tell Her It's Me
Don't Tell Her It's Me
Don't Tell Her It's Me is a 1990 comedy film starring Shelley Long, Steve Guttenberg, and Jami Gertz...
(1990, starring Shelley Long
Shelley Long
Shelley Lee Long is an American actress best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the sitcom Cheers, for which she won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress...
and Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
), adapting the Boyfriend School novel.
The Boyfriend School was published by Ballantine in 1989 and The Mommy Club in 1991, were both humorous novels drawing on Bird's life experiences. In addition to novels, Bird has written screenplays for television and magazine articles for national women's magazines. She writes a column for Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly
Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Austin, Texas. Texas Monthly is published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. and was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy, Texas Monthly chronicles life in contemporary Texas, writing on politics, the environment, industry, and education...
. Virgin of the Rodeo was published in 1999.
Bird was named Austin's best author in 2001 by the Austin Chronicle
Austin Chronicle
The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
, the year she also published The Yokota Officers Club, a novel that draws on her experiences as military brat
Military brat
A military brat describes people who spend their childhood or adolescence while a parent serve full-time in the armed forces, and can also refer to the unique subculture and lifestyle of American military brats, the term refers to both current and former children of such families.Lifestyle: The...
. She has also written screenplays for the National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
and Hallmark
Hallmark Channel
The Hallmark Channel is a cable television network that broadcasts across the United States. Their programming includes a mix of television movies/miniseries, syndicated series, and lifestyle shows that are appropriate for the whole family...
, as well as the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
movie "Yesterday's Children."
Another novel, The Flamenco Academy, came out in 2006. A new novel, How Perfect Is That, was published by Knopf in June 2008.
Novels
- Do Evil Cheerfully, 1983 (as Sarah McCabe Bird)
- Alamo House, 1986
- Boyfriend School, 1989, Doubleday
- Mommy Club, 1991
- Virgin of the Rodeo, 1999
- Yokota Officers Club, 2001
- Flamenco Academy, 2006
- How Perfect Is That, 2008
Written as Tory Cates
- Where Aspens Quake, 1983
- Different Dreams, 1985
- Passionate Illusion, 1986
- Cloud Walker, 1987
- Handful of Sky, 1995