Sparrow graduated from Bowdoin College in 1986 with a BA in English Literature and Psychology and from Signum University in 2015 with an MA in Language and Literature. She is co-owner/builder of a straw bale cabin in the New Hampshire woods with her wife Grace; they are grateful for the technology which keeps them in touch with their adult children. She is an adjunct professor of English at the River Valley Community College.
As an independent scholar, Sparrow presents her digital humanities perspective on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien through her blog, Words That You Were Saying, and through papers at the Mythmoot and Tolkien in Vermont conferences. As an amateur writer, she delves into poetic meditations and prose fantasy narratives. As a retired professional religious educator, she is the author of a good handful of children’s curricula on Earth-Centered spirituality.