Mourning...

[Bondwriter]

I heard on the radio Kurt Vonnegut died yesterday. I laughed out loud reading his novels, and they are among the few I may read over and over with interest. Just reread Jailbird a couple months ago. That's both hilarious and quite disturbing.

 

It was a decade last week Allen Ginsberg died. Though they don't have too much in common, they were some sort of heroes for me. Always strange to feel really bad over someone you didn't know, but that's the case. So it goes.

[blackbird]

I haven't read any of his books, but hearing any author died always makes me very sad.

[Bill W]

Yes, Vonnegut was a true genius with the written word and an icon of his generation. He will be sorely missed by those of us who have enjoyed any of his works.

[MMandM]

IMO, dealing with it is about honouring and respecting the life that was lived - however short or long - and seeing it as having its own integrity and wholeness.

[CarlHoliday]

I have to admit I only read two of Vonnegut's books: Slaughterhouse-Five, which definitely affected my view of the history of WWII as revised by Hollywood; and, Galapagos, which I happened to read only because Vonnegut was coming to the University of Puget Sound as a guest lecturer. At the time, I was the typesetter in the university print shop. (It wasn't a big place. There were five permanent employees: the manager, graphic artist, two printers, and a typesetter.) This was back in the Eighties, before desktop publishing turned typesetting into a DIY industry. We were always trying to come up with original posters and I remember the Vonnegut poster mostly because he was gracious enough to autograph one of them. It was interesting the number of "celebrities" who came to campus to speak and, more often than not, declined to sign their poster.

 

Then, last summer, I listened to the CD version of Slaughterhouse-Five, which is narrated by the author. I look forward to listening to it, again.

[JamesSavik]

Vonnegut's books have made cameo appearences in Freethinker's stories.