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Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
I found an old, hideously pink and yellow copy of 'Wampeters Foma and Granfalloons' in an op shop in my home town a few years back. Definitely recommend tracking down this collection of essays, travelogues and even a short play called Protein to anyone who enjoys his novels for more than the humour irreverence and twisted character sketches. Not sure how widely available it is, my copy's falling apart every way it can, but damn, he is in seriously good form all throughout.
EDIT: The play is called Fortitude, just pulled it out for the warm nostalgic feels and saw my error. Wonder where I pulled Protein from?
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On September 15 2012 09:14 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:
Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
I found an old, hideously pink and yellow copy of 'Wampeters Foma and Granfalloons' in an op shop in my home town a few years back. Definitely recommend tracking down this collection of essays, travelogues and even a short play called Protein to anyone who enjoys his novels for more than the humour irreverence and twisted character sketches. Not sure how widely available it is, my copy's falling apart every way it can, but damn, he is in seriously good form all throughout.
EDIT: The play is called Fortitude, just pulled it out for the warm nostalgic feels and saw my error. Wonder where I pulled Protein from?
Yeah, I remember that old cover for WF&G. It is not a hard book to find at all in newer editions though, and yes, Fortitude is an amazing one-act. I know it has been performed a few times, but I would love to see it. He also did a full play called "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" which is, eh, it is Vonnegut, but overall nothing terribly special. I recommend checking it out though if you are into Vonnegut and plays.
In that book, I think it was, (Maybe Palm Sunday or Fates...not sure now...) he did an essay on why we should read the works on Hunter S. Thompson who is one of my other favorite writers. It excited me to much to hear KV's outlook on the great Gonzo.
Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
As for this, I feel the same way, but also, as far as I know or last I checked, they are not saying where he is buried. I know that in one of his collections, Fates Worse than Death I think, he said where he was planning to be buried, but I don't know...I would love to find out and make a pilgrimage.
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On September 15 2012 08:34 TheAmazombie wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2012 07:22 HowardRoark wrote:
Harrison Bergeron is an amazing short story. Yeah, it is interesting. Early Vonnegut had a way of showing very interesting dystopian futures. Have you seen either of the screen adaptations? It is also one of his few short stories that is known well outside of Vonnegut circles. 2081 Official Site is a really good version.
Definitely. 2081 wasn't exactly how I imagined it, but it was excellent.
Has anyone seen Mother Night with Nick Nolte? I'm thinking I might check that out..
On April 15 2012 12:37 Kimaker wrote:Show nested quote +On April 15 2012 12:26 TheAmazombie wrote:On April 15 2012 12:22 Kimaker wrote:
Sirens has always been my favorite. Spectacular book. Spoke the most to me of anything he's written, the line, "The crowd having been promised nothing, felt cheated having received nothing."
As a side note, does anyone actually LIKE Bluebeard? O_o? Hey, go back to the first couple pages of the thread. I think you asked the same question. There are a couple responses. Hell yeah I LOVE Bluebeard! =) I know...but I just can't get over the dichotomy.... Sirens of Titan, Cat's cradle, Slaughterhouse 5 all blew my mind. Then BOOM. I read Bluebeard. I love the man's writing to death, but I will never forgive him that book 
This is what's special about Kurt for me. If you look at someone like Bret Easton Ellis, he basically writes the same book over and over.
There are Vonnegut books I identified with instantly (breakfast of champions, cat's cradle...etc) and others that still really challenge me (hocus pocus, deadeye dick). I'm gonna go back and re-read hocus pocus fairly soon and hopefully get more out of it than I did the first time. The fact that it's a Vonnegut novel means there is something there..
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Cat's Cradle is def one of my favorites if not my most favorite :D
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On September 15 2012 10:12 TheAmazombie wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2012 09:14 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:
Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
I found an old, hideously pink and yellow copy of 'Wampeters Foma and Granfalloons' in an op shop in my home town a few years back. Definitely recommend tracking down this collection of essays, travelogues and even a short play called Protein to anyone who enjoys his novels for more than the humour irreverence and twisted character sketches. Not sure how widely available it is, my copy's falling apart every way it can, but damn, he is in seriously good form all throughout.
EDIT: The play is called Fortitude, just pulled it out for the warm nostalgic feels and saw my error. Wonder where I pulled Protein from? Yeah, I remember that old cover for WF&G. It is not a hard book to find at all in newer editions though, and yes, Fortitude is an amazing one-act. I know it has been performed a few times, but I would love to see it. He also did a full play called "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" which is, eh, it is Vonnegut, but overall nothing terribly special. I recommend checking it out though if you are into Vonnegut and plays. In that book, I think it was, (Maybe Palm Sunday or Fates...not sure now...) he did an essay on why we should read the works on Hunter S. Thompson who is one of my other favorite writers. It excited me to much to hear KV's outlook on the great Gonzo. Show nested quote +Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes. As for this, I feel the same way, but also, as far as I know or last I checked, they are not saying where he is buried. I know that in one of his collections, Fates Worse than Death I think, he said where he was planning to be buried, but I don't know...I would love to find out and make a pilgrimage.
Hunter S Thompson that's 'A Political Disease', you're right it's WF&G. Great to see KV's love for him layed out so plain as well. But I never thought that Thompson needed the help KV speculated he may need in the essay... to potentially derail a good topic, I was always reminded of JD Salinger when Hunter reported he was reportedly on the verge of 'a complete mental physical and emotional collapse'. Sure JD had Franny to break down in his stead, and even prepared Zooey to have someone ready to put the pieces back together, but Hunter knows as well as Kurt the needs people have for the shape of a story. Even if it's his own ass he writes about, someone's gotta get that low down in order to have someone get just as high.
Maybe I oughta be in the high thread!
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On September 15 2012 10:58 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2012 10:12 TheAmazombie wrote:On September 15 2012 09:14 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:
Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
I found an old, hideously pink and yellow copy of 'Wampeters Foma and Granfalloons' in an op shop in my home town a few years back. Definitely recommend tracking down this collection of essays, travelogues and even a short play called Protein to anyone who enjoys his novels for more than the humour irreverence and twisted character sketches. Not sure how widely available it is, my copy's falling apart every way it can, but damn, he is in seriously good form all throughout.
EDIT: The play is called Fortitude, just pulled it out for the warm nostalgic feels and saw my error. Wonder where I pulled Protein from? Yeah, I remember that old cover for WF&G. It is not a hard book to find at all in newer editions though, and yes, Fortitude is an amazing one-act. I know it has been performed a few times, but I would love to see it. He also did a full play called "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" which is, eh, it is Vonnegut, but overall nothing terribly special. I recommend checking it out though if you are into Vonnegut and plays. In that book, I think it was, (Maybe Palm Sunday or Fates...not sure now...) he did an essay on why we should read the works on Hunter S. Thompson who is one of my other favorite writers. It excited me to much to hear KV's outlook on the great Gonzo. Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes. As for this, I feel the same way, but also, as far as I know or last I checked, they are not saying where he is buried. I know that in one of his collections, Fates Worse than Death I think, he said where he was planning to be buried, but I don't know...I would love to find out and make a pilgrimage. Hunter S Thompson that's 'A Political Disease', you're right it's WF&G. Great to see KV's love for him layed out so plain as well. But I never thought that Thompson needed the help KV speculated he may need in the essay... to potentially derail a good topic, I was always reminded of JD Salinger when Hunter reported he was reportedly on the verge of 'a complete mental physical and emotional collapse'. Sure JD had Franny to break down in his stead, and even prepared Zooey to have someone ready to put the pieces back together, but Hunter knows as well as Kurt the needs people have for the shape of a story. Even if it's his own ass he writes about, someone's gotta get that low down in order to have someone get just as high. Maybe I oughta be in the high thread!
I agree completely. Hunter was Hunter, Kurt was Kurt, and it was all speculation in the end. I mean, Kurt knew Hunter, they had met, but he really didn't know him at all. I think overall it is one of those things that hits well just because it is one hero admiring another of your heroes. That is way nicer than him talking shit about him. Haha.
Speaking on that though, yes Kurt knew what people did for their stories and also what to do with his characters. If you remember or know of Kurt's writing tips he used to preach, a couple always hit home to me, especially when I read certain people like HST. Here they are (I will add to OP as well) in case you don't recall:
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.
I always think about #6 there, and relate that to Hunter's/Raul's persona, how Hunter was both Raul and not at the same time, both in the books and in real life. Then I think, maybe Hunter is how he is because he believes in KV's #6, trying to find what he was really made of.
Not sure if that actually means anything, but it s a fun thought that I always play with when thinking about these two masters.
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This is so awesome!!!!!!!!
I was just listening to "Hourglass"(Lamb of God)
AND SO IT GOES!!!!!!!!!
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On September 15 2012 12:07 NadaSound wrote:
This is so awesome!!!!!!!!
I was just listening to "Hourglass"(Lamb of God)
AND SO IT GOES!!!!!!!!!
Glad to have you. =) There are a number of good references in KV in music, in fact there is a whole album called "Ice-9 Ballads" by someone, I can't remember right now. I think there was also someone that put some of the Bokonon calypsos to music and made an album out of it. Good stuff.
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Read Hocus Pocus. It's less poppy than Cat's Cradle and less obviously philosophical than most of his other books, but deeper than most if not all of them.
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Oh god I can't stop thinking about BoC. The writing style and the drawings is just ingrained in my head.
I think I'm in love.
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On September 15 2012 15:10 Azera wrote:
Oh god I can't stop thinking about BoC. The writing style and the drawings is just ingrained in my head.
I think I'm in love.
Haha. Yeah, his classic "asshole" pic, and the "beaver" pics are hilarious. A good friend of mine got a tattoo of the "*" asshole. LoL.
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On September 15 2012 11:35 TheAmazombie wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2012 10:58 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:On September 15 2012 10:12 TheAmazombie wrote:On September 15 2012 09:14 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:
Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
I found an old, hideously pink and yellow copy of 'Wampeters Foma and Granfalloons' in an op shop in my home town a few years back. Definitely recommend tracking down this collection of essays, travelogues and even a short play called Protein to anyone who enjoys his novels for more than the humour irreverence and twisted character sketches. Not sure how widely available it is, my copy's falling apart every way it can, but damn, he is in seriously good form all throughout.
EDIT: The play is called Fortitude, just pulled it out for the warm nostalgic feels and saw my error. Wonder where I pulled Protein from? Yeah, I remember that old cover for WF&G. It is not a hard book to find at all in newer editions though, and yes, Fortitude is an amazing one-act. I know it has been performed a few times, but I would love to see it. He also did a full play called "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" which is, eh, it is Vonnegut, but overall nothing terribly special. I recommend checking it out though if you are into Vonnegut and plays. In that book, I think it was, (Maybe Palm Sunday or Fates...not sure now...) he did an essay on why we should read the works on Hunter S. Thompson who is one of my other favorite writers. It excited me to much to hear KV's outlook on the great Gonzo. Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes. As for this, I feel the same way, but also, as far as I know or last I checked, they are not saying where he is buried. I know that in one of his collections, Fates Worse than Death I think, he said where he was planning to be buried, but I don't know...I would love to find out and make a pilgrimage. Hunter S Thompson that's 'A Political Disease', you're right it's WF&G. Great to see KV's love for him layed out so plain as well. But I never thought that Thompson needed the help KV speculated he may need in the essay... to potentially derail a good topic, I was always reminded of JD Salinger when Hunter reported he was reportedly on the verge of 'a complete mental physical and emotional collapse'. Sure JD had Franny to break down in his stead, and even prepared Zooey to have someone ready to put the pieces back together, but Hunter knows as well as Kurt the needs people have for the shape of a story. Even if it's his own ass he writes about, someone's gotta get that low down in order to have someone get just as high. Maybe I oughta be in the high thread! I agree completely. Hunter was Hunter, Kurt was Kurt, and it was all speculation in the end. I mean, Kurt knew Hunter, they had met, but he really didn't know him at all. I think overall it is one of those things that hits well just because it is one hero admiring another of your heroes. That is way nicer than him talking shit about him. Haha. Speaking on that though, yes Kurt knew what people did for their stories and also what to do with his characters. If you remember or know of Kurt's writing tips he used to preach, a couple always hit home to me, especially when I read certain people like HST. Here they are (I will add to OP as well) in case you don't recall: Show nested quote +1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages. I always think about #6 there, and relate that to Hunter's/Raul's persona, how Hunter was both Raul and not at the same time, both in the books and in real life. Then I think, maybe Hunter is how he is because he believes in KV's #6, trying to find what he was really made of. Not sure if that actually means anything, but it s a fun thought that I always play with when thinking about these two masters.
That definitely means something, and sure we'll probably never know if Thompson had Vonnegut's writing tip on his mind, he certainly was out to prove himself time and time again. Both men, very proactive, never content with a moment in the past serving to prove what they were made of, striving for a new best.
From all the difference of opinion in this thread I think I need to get my hands on Bluebeard.
Also Vonnegut openly admitted at least once that "he cheerfully ripped off the plot of [Aldous Huxley's] Brave New World, whose plot had been cheerfully ripped off from Yevgeny Zamyatin's We". Another of his writing tips, unwritten, steal no less shamelessly than every other literary genius out there already. Huxley is a fucking boss too, as a side note. ;D
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The greatest gift Vonnegut gave to the world (according to me) is the Iowa Writers Workshop. When he joined not long after ww2 (I think) there was less then a dozen people including both faculty and students. He played a significant role in the development of the strongest bastion of american literature - google " famous Iowa writers workshop alumni", and you have a list of major movers and shakers in the last 60 years.
The second greatest contribution to the world (according to me) was the result of his fiction. The ethics of war and scientific development resonate throughout his writing. He lived in a surreal time - ww2 ( which advanced our world in ways innumerable while simultaneously lowering all parties involved to the level of mass exterminators) and in the cold-hot-cold world of perpetual nuclear suspension where a nuclear weapon might fall from the sky and turn the sand to glass at any time.
He was most sadistic to his reader - you can't read one of his 'major' pieces without a soulful examination of the cold hearted thinking of weapons development and war.
The best way I can summarize his actual sentence by sentence writing would be, elegantly simple and written with a grin.
(Thanks op, great thread, I look forward to the day I come here and read the "John Irving appreciation thread" - it is only a matter of time!)
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On September 17 2012 10:40 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2012 11:35 TheAmazombie wrote:On September 15 2012 10:58 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:On September 15 2012 10:12 TheAmazombie wrote:On September 15 2012 09:14 Bobbin Threadbare wrote:
Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes.
I found an old, hideously pink and yellow copy of 'Wampeters Foma and Granfalloons' in an op shop in my home town a few years back. Definitely recommend tracking down this collection of essays, travelogues and even a short play called Protein to anyone who enjoys his novels for more than the humour irreverence and twisted character sketches. Not sure how widely available it is, my copy's falling apart every way it can, but damn, he is in seriously good form all throughout.
EDIT: The play is called Fortitude, just pulled it out for the warm nostalgic feels and saw my error. Wonder where I pulled Protein from? Yeah, I remember that old cover for WF&G. It is not a hard book to find at all in newer editions though, and yes, Fortitude is an amazing one-act. I know it has been performed a few times, but I would love to see it. He also did a full play called "Happy Birthday, Wanda June" which is, eh, it is Vonnegut, but overall nothing terribly special. I recommend checking it out though if you are into Vonnegut and plays. In that book, I think it was, (Maybe Palm Sunday or Fates...not sure now...) he did an essay on why we should read the works on Hunter S. Thompson who is one of my other favorite writers. It excited me to much to hear KV's outlook on the great Gonzo. Love Vonnegut like no young man should love an old dead writer. Wouldn't hesitate to hug and cradle his coffin with tears in my eyes. As for this, I feel the same way, but also, as far as I know or last I checked, they are not saying where he is buried. I know that in one of his collections, Fates Worse than Death I think, he said where he was planning to be buried, but I don't know...I would love to find out and make a pilgrimage. Hunter S Thompson that's 'A Political Disease', you're right it's WF&G. Great to see KV's love for him layed out so plain as well. But I never thought that Thompson needed the help KV speculated he may need in the essay... to potentially derail a good topic, I was always reminded of JD Salinger when Hunter reported he was reportedly on the verge of 'a complete mental physical and emotional collapse'. Sure JD had Franny to break down in his stead, and even prepared Zooey to have someone ready to put the pieces back together, but Hunter knows as well as Kurt the needs people have for the shape of a story. Even if it's his own ass he writes about, someone's gotta get that low down in order to have someone get just as high. Maybe I oughta be in the high thread! I agree completely. Hunter was Hunter, Kurt was Kurt, and it was all speculation in the end. I mean, Kurt knew Hunter, they had met, but he really didn't know him at all. I think overall it is one of those things that hits well just because it is one hero admiring another of your heroes. That is way nicer than him talking shit about him. Haha. Speaking on that though, yes Kurt knew what people did for their stories and also what to do with his characters. If you remember or know of Kurt's writing tips he used to preach, a couple always hit home to me, especially when I read certain people like HST. Here they are (I will add to OP as well) in case you don't recall: 1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
4. Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action.
5. Start as close to the end as possible.
6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them-in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages. I always think about #6 there, and relate that to Hunter's/Raul's persona, how Hunter was both Raul and not at the same time, both in the books and in real life. Then I think, maybe Hunter is how he is because he believes in KV's #6, trying to find what he was really made of. Not sure if that actually means anything, but it s a fun thought that I always play with when thinking about these two masters. That definitely means something, and sure we'll probably never know if Thompson had Vonnegut's writing tip on his mind, he certainly was out to prove himself time and time again. Both men, very proactive, never content with a moment in the past serving to prove what they were made of, striving for a new best. From all the difference of opinion in this thread I think I need to get my hands on Bluebeard. Also Vonnegut openly admitted at least once that "he cheerfully ripped off the plot of [Aldous Huxley's] Brave New World, whose plot had been cheerfully ripped off from Yevgeny Zamyatin's We". Another of his writing tips, unwritten, steal no less shamelessly than every other literary genius out there already. Huxley is a fucking boss too, as a side note. ;D
Yeah, the "We"/"Brave New World" stylings are very evident in the earlier books and stories like Player Piano, Sirens of Titan, even Cat's to an extent.
As for Bluebeard, while I knew it was considered his masterpiece of the later books, I held off on reading it for quite some time. I had no idea what it was about and the cover picture (a leather cowboy-style boot) held no interest to me. Finally after reading most of everything else I could get my hands on, I finally relented. Then when I cracked the book open and saw that it was "The Autobiography of Rabo Karabekian," I was assured that I was going to be in good hands. It is his only real story that has not even the slightest bit of sci-fi reference, a very very human and personal story where Rabo acts as a bit of a stand-on for Vonnegut's life, and the life, in a way, of many aging artists struggling to find meaning in their life and work.
I just recommend it highly because of the simple elements and well-crafted story as a whole. Once you get on it, let us know what you think, what parts speak to you. I don't want to give away too much about Rabo or his old potato barn. =)
On September 17 2012 11:45 AttackZerg wrote:
The greatest gift Vonnegut gave to the world (according to me) is the Iowa Writers Workshop. When he joined not long after ww2 (I think) there was less then a dozen people including both faculty and students. He played a significant role in the development of the strongest bastion of american literature - google " famous Iowa writers workshop alumni", and you have a list of major movers and shakers in the last 60 years.
The second greatest contribution to the world (according to me) was the result of his fiction. The ethics of war and scientific development resonate throughout his writing. He lived in a surreal time - ww2 ( which advanced our world in ways innumerable while simultaneously lowering all parties involved to the level of mass exterminators) and in the cold-hot-cold world of perpetual nuclear suspension where a nuclear weapon might fall from the sky and turn the sand to glass at any time.
He was most sadistic to his reader - you can't read one of his 'major' pieces without a soulful examination of the cold hearted thinking of weapons development and war.
The best way I can summarize his actual sentence by sentence writing would be, elegantly simple and written with a grin.
(Thanks op, great thread, I look forward to the day I come here and read the "John Irving appreciation thread" - it is only a matter of time!)
Awesome to have you! Yeah, the Iowa Workshop was an important part of American literary tradition, where your beloved John Irving was a student of Vonnegut. John is a writer that I have read a little of, creates excellently crafted stories, but I just have not gotten around to a lot of his work. I do hope to find the time in the near future though.
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On September 17 2012 11:45 AttackZerg wrote:
The greatest gift Vonnegut gave to the world (according to me) is the Iowa Writers Workshop. When he joined not long after ww2 (I think) there was less then a dozen people including both faculty and students. He played a significant role in the development of the strongest bastion of american literature - google " famous Iowa writers workshop alumni", and you have a list of major movers and shakers in the last 60 years.
The second greatest contribution to the world (according to me) was the result of his fiction. The ethics of war and scientific development resonate throughout his writing. He lived in a surreal time - ww2 ( which advanced our world in ways innumerable while simultaneously lowering all parties involved to the level of mass exterminators) and in the cold-hot-cold world of perpetual nuclear suspension where a nuclear weapon might fall from the sky and turn the sand to glass at any time.
He was most sadistic to his reader - you can't read one of his 'major' pieces without a soulful examination of the cold hearted thinking of weapons development and war.
The best way I can summarize his actual sentence by sentence writing would be, elegantly simple and written with a grin.
(Thanks op, great thread, I look forward to the day I come here and read the "John Irving appreciation thread" - it is only a matter of time!)
Sadistic in the same way most good novels are, I say! If you aren't soulfully examining cold hearted x and y, you were probably daydreaming.
'An American near Billy wailed that he had excreted everything but his brains. Moments later he said, "There they go, there they go." He meant his brains.
That was me. That was I. That was the author of this book.'
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To all Vonnegut lovers,
There has been a recent release of two short stories by KV that up till now were not released. The interesting part of these releases is that they bookend KV's work. The first story is one of his first stories ever written. It is very unlike KV in setting and somewhat tone, but it is definitely KV. The second story, which I have not been able to finish reading, was a short story that was going to be one of if not the last novel written by Vonnegut. I will add the title of the book when I get home from work today.
In addition to the two stories, Kurt's daughter wrote a real nice into which gives a candid look into the personal life of KV.
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On November 02 2012 23:46 xavierofsparta wrote:
To all Vonnegut lovers,
There has been a recent release of two short stories by KV that up till now were not released. The interesting part of these releases is that they bookend KV's work. The first story is one of his first stories ever written. It is very unlike KV in setting and somewhat tone, but it is definitely KV. The second story, which I have not been able to finish reading, was a short story that was going to be one of if not the last novel written by Vonnegut. I will add the title of the book when I get home from work today.
In addition to the two stories, Kurt's daughter wrote a real nice into which gives a candid look into the personal life of KV.
You are going to have to show us the titles...the only news that I can find on any new releases were when "Basic Training" was released in March. Amazon is not showing anything nor is Google...
http://www.amazon.com/Kurt-Vonnegut/e/B000APYE16/ref=la_B000APYE16_st?qid=1351880999&rh=n:283155,p_82:B000APYE16&sort=daterank
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The book is titled We are What We Pretend to Be. The short story titles are "Basic Training" and "If God Were Alive Today."
Published by the Vanguard Press in 2012.
So it looks like "Basic Training" had been published before. I was unaware.
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On November 03 2012 05:16 xavierofsparta wrote:
The book is titled We are What We Pretend to Be. The short story titles are "Basic Training" and "If God Were Alive Today."
Published by the Vanguard Press in 2012.
So it looks like "Basic Training" had been published before. I was unaware.
Oh yeah, I remember this book. It did just come out, you are correct. As for Basic Training, yeah, it was published in ebooks back in March. Good stuff. I had this in my Amazon wish list, but I have not picked it up yet. I am more excited to read the commentary by Nanette in there. Thanks for reminding us and for a quick review there.
http://www.amazon.com/We-Are-What-Pretend-To/dp/1593157436/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351887520&sr=8-1&keywords=if god were alive today
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On September 15 2012 10:33 subliMe6 wrote:
Cat's Cradle is def one of my favorites if not my most favorite :D
Same here. I picked it up on a whim one Saturday, and literally didn't set it down until I was done. Brilliant little book.
Still my favorite poem to this day:
Tiger got to hunt
Bird got to fly
Man got to sit and wonder why, why, why?
Tiger got to sleep
Bird got to land
Man got to tell himself he understand.
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EPT
