Friday, April 13, 2007

Kurt Vonnegut.

It's very sad, the novelist Kurt Vonnegut passed away the other night. When I was growing up, he was one of the first writers whose work I fell in love with.

May he rest in peace.

Do you guys have a favorite Vonnegut book? It's been so long since I read any of his work, but I always loved his craziness and the interesting ideas in his books. I remember really liking Cat's Cradle, but I can't remember the first thing about it. I need to dig that book up and reread it.

20 comments:

mist1 said...

I like so many of them. He's my favorite author.

A Man Without a Country
Player Piano
Breakfast of Champions

Anonymous said...

Vonnegut, who passed away April 11, 2007, was a Senior
Editor and long-time contributor to In These Times.
“Without In These Times, I would be a man without a
country,” Vonnegut often said of the national monthly
news magazine that has featured investigative
reporting about corporate malfeasance and government
wrongdoing, insightful analysis of national and
international affairs, and cultural criticism about
events and ideas that matter. “Kurt was first and
foremost my friend,” remembers In These Times editor,
Joel Bleifuss. “But he also wasn’t afraid to speak
out against man’s inhumanity to man. He never suffered
fools lightly and was particularly concerned about the
direction the U.S. is heading under the current
administration.” Vonnegut and Bleifuss collaborated
on articles for In These Times, many of which were
compiled in Man Without a Country, Vonnegut’s last
book. A collection of articles by Kurt Vonnegut can
be accessed at
www.inthesetimes.com/archives/vonnegut/. Vonnegut
also faxed word art to In These Times, often bemoaning
the Bush administration and the overall state of
affairs. “When we ponder various people going about
their business, we assume they have nervous systems,”
read one. “But George W. Bush doesn’t have one. What a
time to be alive!” Vonnegut also briefly authored an
advice column for In These Times called “Dear Mr.
Vonnegut.” “I have not so much a comment or a
question for you, but rather a request: Please tell me
it will all be OK,” wrote one reader. Vonnegut’s
response? “Welcome to Earth, young man. It’s hot in
the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet
and crowded. At the outside, Joe, you’ve got about a
hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know
of: Goddamn it, Joe, you’ve got to be kind!” “He was
a great supporter of In These Times, and we benefited
from both his sharp wit and the moral compass that
guided his work,” says Bleifuss. “I will miss his
unassailable political integrity and the wisdom that
he brought to our pages.”

Moonbeam Baby said...

So sad...

M said...

I'm sorry you lost one of your favorite writers, Sebastien. :( My favorite childhood writer was Michael Ende ("Momo", "Neverending Story", etc.) He's died a few years back as well.

Anonymous said...

Kurt Vonnegut was one of my favorite authors, and still is. Cat's Cradle and Sirens of Titan were my first two, and hooked me in. It's sad that he's passed away, but his books I'm sure will continue to capture more people.

Mrs. Hairy Woman said...

Sad to hear of his passing.. Sadly I aslo did not read his work.. so sad.. RIP.. Kurt...

Nikki Neurotic said...

A Man Without a Country, hands down.

Unknown said...

So it goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atABhlMLYvU

Sebastien Millon said...

Mist1: I haven't read A Man Without a Country or Player Piano, I gotta get around to that.

Inthesetimes: Thanks for the info and link.

Moonbeam Baby: I know!

Mariana: Thanks Mariana.

Frenchy: That's for sure, his books will definitely capture more people!

Babybull: Oh you really must read some of his work! It is very sad...

Silver: I gotta read this one!

Storey: Thanks for that link Storey, and thanks for stopping by.

tkkerouac said...

yes but you didn't answer the question on the dirty post.

imhelendt said...

I had some remark planned about your sexuality because you said you fell in love with him. But then I saw everyone was all serious and sad and the joke died at my fingertips. Sigh. ;P

Becky said...

hey seb! hope you're doing well. i heard about kurt vonnegut today on NPR. very sad, though i have actually never read anything of his. perhaps i will now.

Battlerocker said...

I'll poor one out for Kurt. The world's loss.

Tell me, I feel young still, but I can't help but feeling that good writing is leaving the world as I enter it; is there any new found brilliance? I hope so, but lately it seems talent is a dying breed.

JM said...

Funny thing, Cat's Cradle and Welcome To The Monkey House still call out to me after all these years.

Sebastien Millon said...

Tk: muhahhaaha, must I really answer!? Ok, I will.

Helen: I expect nothing less! Death is sad, but there is still room for jokes, especially vicious jokes that will reduce me to tears, haha!

Good for Me: Been doing a bit better of late, thanks! Oh, I hope you get a chance to read some of his work, it's really wonderful.

Batterocker: It is the world's loss... but I'm a firm believer in new found talent and brilliance! I think our generation will have lots of great artists and writers and kung fu masters. Specially kung fu masters. But seriously, higher rates of people are getting educations all over the world, so hopefully that means more people will be able to discover and work on their talents, including writers and artists. Did I ever mention I'm an optimist?

JM: Yes! I really really need to reread his work, I feel ashamed that I've waited so long...

Anonymous said...

I liked Breakfast of Champions & Sirens of Titan, even though they were completely different types of lit. The short story book, Welcome to the Monkey House has some fun stuff, i.e. Tom Edison's Dog & Long Walk to Forever.

He used to talk about chain smoking Pall Mall straights as "A more honorable form of suicide...", and you'd see familiar names pop up throughout his stuff-- names like "Helmholtz". Kind of a Mark Twain for the LSD generation.

WAT said...

Never read any of his stuff, but definitely heard of him. Alas, the man has completed his mission, and obviously made an impact, for he is being mourned by many.

Anonymous said...

I read "Slaughterhouse Five" in my late teen years. I don't remember much about it though. It must have made some kind of impression since at least I remember reading it.

Becky said...

glad to hear it, seb!

Sebastien Millon said...

Stratoblogster: Mark Twain for the LSD generation, I really like that!

Wat: Really? Oh, you would love love love his work.

Sonja: HAha, you are funny! Although, I can't remember his books very well, they all blend together for me, but I remember loving them so much.

Good for Me: Thanks! Of course it's tough sometimes, the ups and downs, but in the end it's all good!