Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 1922 - 2007

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. 1922 - 2007

Kurt Vonnegut died on Wednesday. My first thought was "I hate it when the good people die." Chances are if you are a fan of this blog, you have read at least one Vonnegut book, so I will spare you the rundown of his life. The man was a cultural & literary icon. His humor, humanity, and scathing condemnation of the cruel and the dumb is well known. His skill as a writer and storyteller have been praised. Like many of you, I read all of his books and reread plenty. He is one of my favorite writers.

I really can't add anything else other than a line of his from a radio interview in the early 1990s. I am not sure what the context is but I don't think it matters, as the sentiment is just as true today as it ever was. The man said, "It's about time we called people scumbags again." When I started a community newspaper in the late 90s, I stuck those words atop the masthead. Rest in peace, Kurt Vonnegut.

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Reads Cat's Cradle LP (Caedmon, 1973)
Excerpt 1
Excerpt 2