Kurt Vonnegut
It's hard for me to express exactly how much the writing of Kurt Vonnegut means to me. It's more than just the actual writings themselves, which are very good. Mr. Vonnegut wrote novels, short stories, and essays that were brilliant. But more than that, I discovered his work at a critical time in my life. I was about 15 or 16 years old and attending Catholic school, working in the school's library during my lunch hour to fill my community service requirement without having to waste my summer doing it. In the process of shelving books, I came across Breakfast of the Champions and skimmed through it. In it, along with the text, were scribbles by the author - including an asterisk along with a caption about this is what an asshole looks like.
I was shocked and enthralled - how had my catholic school come to have a book that included a cartoon drawing of an asshole? It was the best thing ever! I told the boy I was interested in the time about it - him being much older and wiser of course, he told me that Kurt Vonnegut was a great author and that his favorite book was Slaughterhouse Five. So between the cartoon asshole and the endorsement of the Wisest Boy Ever, I pretty much had to read everything by Vonnegut I could get my hands on. And I loved it. He expressed ideas that my teenage mind was just starting to explore - individuality, the condition of being a human being and feeling outside of normal society, the ridiculous nature of society, what it means to be alive - so many things.
His work influenced my developing mind and I think ultimately, the sort of person and writer I became.
I always wanted to write him a letter to thank him for that, but I never knew quite what to say. Unfortunately he's dead now, but he led a long and interesting life.
And so it goes.
Some of my favorite quotes:
If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC
As quoted in "Vonnegut's Blues For America" Sunday Herald (7 January 2006)
Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe.
Kurt Vonnegut, Novel 'Hocus Pocus' 1990
Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops.
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.
Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night
New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.
Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand.
Kurt Vonnegut
"All people are insane," he said. "They will do anything at any time, and God help anybody who looks for reasons."
Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies - "God damn it, you've got to be kind."
Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater
I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
"Knowing What's Nice", an essay from In These Times (2003)
On writing:
1. Find a subject you care about.
2. Do not ramble, though.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Have the guts to cut.
5. Sound like yourself.
6. Say what you mean to say.
7. Pity the readers.
As quoted in Science Fictionisms (1995), compiled by William Rotsler
Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.
Kurt Vonnegut, A Man without a Country
You learn about life by the accidents you have, over and over again, and your father is always in your head when that stuff happens. Writing, most of the time, for most people, is an accident and your father is there for that, too. You know, I taught writing for a while and whenever somebody would tell me they were going to write about their dad, I would tell them they might as well go write about killing puppies because neither story was going to work. It just doesn't work. Your father won't let it happen.
Interviewed by J. Rentilly, "The Best Jokes Are Dangerous", McSweeny's (September 2002)
If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don't have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
Kurt Vonnegut, A Man without a Country
Complete works:
http://www.vonnegutweb.com/vonnegutia/biblio.html
Website:
http://www.vonnegut.com/
More quotes:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut
I was shocked and enthralled - how had my catholic school come to have a book that included a cartoon drawing of an asshole? It was the best thing ever! I told the boy I was interested in the time about it - him being much older and wiser of course, he told me that Kurt Vonnegut was a great author and that his favorite book was Slaughterhouse Five. So between the cartoon asshole and the endorsement of the Wisest Boy Ever, I pretty much had to read everything by Vonnegut I could get my hands on. And I loved it. He expressed ideas that my teenage mind was just starting to explore - individuality, the condition of being a human being and feeling outside of normal society, the ridiculous nature of society, what it means to be alive - so many things.
His work influenced my developing mind and I think ultimately, the sort of person and writer I became.
I always wanted to write him a letter to thank him for that, but I never knew quite what to say. Unfortunately he's dead now, but he led a long and interesting life.
And so it goes.
Some of my favorite quotes:
If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC
As quoted in "Vonnegut's Blues For America" Sunday Herald (7 January 2006)
Just because some of us can read and write and do a little math, that doesn't mean we deserve to conquer the Universe.
Kurt Vonnegut, Novel 'Hocus Pocus' 1990
Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops.
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.
Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night
New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.
Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions
Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand.
Kurt Vonnegut
"All people are insane," he said. "They will do anything at any time, and God help anybody who looks for reasons."
Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night
Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies - "God damn it, you've got to be kind."
Kurt Vonnegut, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater
I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."
"Knowing What's Nice", an essay from In These Times (2003)
On writing:
1. Find a subject you care about.
2. Do not ramble, though.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Have the guts to cut.
5. Sound like yourself.
6. Say what you mean to say.
7. Pity the readers.
As quoted in Science Fictionisms (1995), compiled by William Rotsler
Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.
Kurt Vonnegut, A Man without a Country
You learn about life by the accidents you have, over and over again, and your father is always in your head when that stuff happens. Writing, most of the time, for most people, is an accident and your father is there for that, too. You know, I taught writing for a while and whenever somebody would tell me they were going to write about their dad, I would tell them they might as well go write about killing puppies because neither story was going to work. It just doesn't work. Your father won't let it happen.
Interviewed by J. Rentilly, "The Best Jokes Are Dangerous", McSweeny's (September 2002)
If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don't have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I'm not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
Kurt Vonnegut, A Man without a Country
Complete works:
http://www.vonnegutweb.com/vonnegutia/biblio.html
Website:
http://www.vonnegut.com/
More quotes:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kurt_Vonnegut