Sarah Tomlinson is a writer. She lives in Los Angeles. When she’s feeling flashy, or has something profound (or bossy) to say about rock ‘n’ roll, she goes by the Duchess of Rock.
After growing up in Maine, Sarah attended the early college Simon’s Rock College of Bard and then earned a BA in Creative Writing at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. After four years spent writing and buying records in Portland, Oregon, she earned an MA in Journalism at Northeastern University in Boston.
While living in Boston, she launched a freelance journalism career. Her articles and music reviews have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Boston Phoenix, Boston Magazine, The Journal News, The Christian Science Monitor, Salon.com, Billboard.com, Swindle, Alternative Press, Rockpile, The OC Weekly, The Willamette Week, and Preen. She wrote a weekly local music column, “Notes” for The Boston Phoenix, and has written bios for bands on Virgin, Red Ink/Columbia, MySpace and Fat Wreck Chords.
Sarah was the co-author, with Tila Tequila, of "Hooking Up with Tila Tequila," which was published by Scribner in December 2008.
Sarah is currently seeking a publisher for her first novel, “Because the Night.” She likes to think of the book as her love letter to rock ‘n’ roll. It is a story of love and redemption narrated by rock singer/guitarist Maddie Snow, who struggles to reaffirm her passion for music after the death of her longtime lover and collaborator. Sarah’s short story, “Everything We Ever Wanted” was a Top 25 Finalist in Glimmer Train’s Summer 2006 Very Short Fiction Award. Sarah has performed her personal essay “Pablo Picasso Was a Lousy Lover” at Sit ‘n Spin in Los Angeles. She has written two TV pilots. Her favorite band is T. Rex.
Contact Sarah, or sign up for her newsletter, at sarah@sarahtomlinson.com.