• Parents are both professors at the University of North Carolina; mother is a classicist and father teaches Shakespeare .
• Has one brother who is a musician, he lives in California with his son and wife
• Typed her first stories on a manual typewriter on a little desk in a corner (typewriter was a gift for Sarah around age 8 or 9)
• Attended college at University of North Carolina, studied creative writing, and received a degree in English (after being on the 5 ½ year plan)
• Started waitressing at the world famous Flying Burrito Restaurant ---wrote during the day and waitressed at night
• Sold THAT SUMMER three years after graduating; published in 1996
• Quit waitressing to accept a teaching position in the English department at University of North Carolina
• Movie HOW TO DEAL produced in 2003 is based off Sarah's two books THAT SUMMER and SOMEONE LIKE YOU
• In addition to teaching and writing, also does the books for her husband’s contracting business
• Lives in the country with her husband, some lizards, and two dogs
"I like to work in my garden---although I have not yet perfected the art of keeping everything alive----and, in my weaker moments, shop. I have a bit of an addiction to the Gap clearance rack, to be honest. I have this strange need to buy huge quantities of black pants. How many pairs of black pants does one person need? (Obviously for me, the answer is 11 and counting. But I digress.) What else can I tell you? I love Starbucks mochas but they make me way hyper. I subscribe to too many magazines. I make a mean bean salad. I could go on, but the truth is, my books are much more exciting than I am, and that’s a good thing. It’s always more fun to make stuff up anyway."
TWU LS 5903