question: Were Carl Sagan and Mary Doria Russell both American? 
answer: yes
context: Title: Visions of the 21st century
  Passage: "Visions of the 21st Century" is a speech delivered by Carl Sagan at the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the United Nations on October 24, 1995 (United Nations Day) in New York in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.  In the introduction, Sagan discusses the human unity that is present in the world despite its vast human diversity.  He points out that we as humans are all cousins that can be traced back through human ancestry in east Africa.  The theme of Sagan's speech promoted the importance of fostering a Global Community.  This theme of Visions of the 21st Century represents the overarching theme of the U.N.'s fiftieth anniversary celebration which was "We The Peoples of the United Nations...United for a Better World".  He stresses the importance of maintaining a healthy Global Environment, as changes in the global environment are a common threat to all of humanity.  The change in the Global Environment he focuses on is climate change.  He also elaborates on the great power that modern technology allows each to nation to possess.  He praises the advances in medical technology of the world particularly.  Yet, Sagan warns that the mix of technological power and ignorance has the potential to lead to disaster.  Thus, this enormous power must be guarded against misuse.  To do this, Sagan suggests that widespread knowledge of science and technology is beneficial.  Sagan discusses the minuscule presence of the Earth within the vast scale of the cosmos, and how it is a delusion to believe we as humans are somehow elite in the universe.  Sagan implores humanity to protect and cherish this earth that we know, as it is solely the responsibility of humanity alone.
  Title: The Sparrow (novel)
  Passage: The Sparrow (1996) is the first novel by author Mary Doria Russell.
  Title: Steve Squyres
  Passage: Steven W. Squyres (born January 9, 1956) is the James A. Weeks Professor of Physical Sciences at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.  His research area is in planetary sciences, with a focus on large solid bodies in the Solar System such as the terrestrial planets and the moons of the Jovian planets.  Squyres is principal investigator of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission (MER).  He is the recipient of the 2004 Carl Sagan Memorial Award and the 2009 Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Communication in Planetary Science.  On October 28, 2010, Dr. Squyres received the 2010 Mines Medal for his achievements as a researcher and professor.  He is the brother of Academy Award-nominated film editor Tim Squyres.
  Title: Carl Sagan Memorial Award
  Passage: The Carl Sagan Memorial Award is an award presented jointly by the American Astronautical Society and The Planetary Society to an individual or group "who has demonstrated leadership in research or policies advancing exploration of the Cosmos."  The annual award, first presented in 1997, was created in honor of American astronomer, astrobiologist and science popularizer, Carl Sagan (1934–1996).
  Title: Cosmos (Carl Sagan book)
  Passage: Cosmos is a 1980 popular science book by astronomer and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan.  Its 13 illustrated chapters, corresponding to the 13 episodes of the , which the book was co-developed with and intended to complement, explore the mutual development of science and civilization.  One of Sagan's main purposes for the book and television series was to explain complex scientific ideas to anyone interested in learning.  Sagan also believed the television was one of the greatest teaching tools ever invented, so he wished to capitalize on his chance to educate the world.  Spurred in part by the popularity of the TV series, "Cosmos" spent 50 weeks on the "Publishers Weekly" best-sellers list and 70 weeks on the "New York Times" Best Seller list to become the best-selling science book ever published at the time.  In 1981, it received the Hugo Award for Best Non-Fiction Book.  The book's unprecedented success ushered in a dramatic increase in visibility for science-themed literature.  The success of the book also jumpstarted Sagan's literary career.  The sequel to "Cosmos" is "Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space" (1994).
  Title: Contents of the Voyager Golden Record
  Passage: The Voyager Golden Record contains 115 images plus a calibration image and a variety of natural sounds, such as those made by surf, wind, and thunder, and animal sounds, including the songs of birds and whales.  The record additionally features musical selections from different cultures and eras, spoken greetings in fifty-nine languages, other human sounds, like footsteps and laughter (Carl Sagan's ), and printed messages from President Jimmy Carter and U.N. Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim.  The items were selected for NASA by a committee chaired by Carl Sagan of Cornell University.
  Title: Children of God (novel)
  Passage: Children of God is the second book, and the second science fiction novel, written by author Mary Doria Russell.  It is the sequel to the award-winning novel, "The Sparrow".
  Title: The Cosmic Connection
  Passage: The Cosmic Connection: An Extraterrestrial Perspective is a book by Carl Sagan, produced by Jerome Agel.  It was originally published in 1973; an expanded edition with contributions from Freeman Dyson, David Morrison, and Ann Druyan was published in 2000 under the title "Carl Sagan's Cosmic Connection".  The book contains artwork by Jon Lomberg and other artists.
  Title: Mary Doria Russell
  Passage: Mary Doria Russell (born August 19, 1950) is an American novelist.
  Title: Carl Sagan
  Passage: Carl Edward Sagan ( ; November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, science popularizer, and science communicator in astronomy and other natural sciences.  He is best known for his work as a science popularizer and communicator.  His best known scientific contribution is research on extraterrestrial life, including experimental demonstration of the production of amino acids from basic chemicals by radiation.  Sagan assembled the first physical messages sent into space: the Pioneer plaque and the Voyager Golden Record, universal messages that could potentially be understood by any extraterrestrial intelligence that might find them.  Sagan argued the now accepted hypothesis that the high surface temperatures of Venus can be attributed to and calculated using the greenhouse effect.
citations: Mary Doria Russell Carl Sagan