Kurt Vonnegut

As Kurt would have said himself, "so it goes". And it goes without saying, Vonnegut and his work remain timeless. I can't wait to discuss Slaughterhouse with my children. Maybe it's time to re-read it in light of recent wars.

From the end of Vonnegut's "Requiem"

When the last living thing

has died on account of us,

how poetical it would be

if Earth could say,

in a voice floating up

perhaps

from the floor

of the Grand Canyon,

"It is done."

People did not like it here.

When I was attending college, I was sitting one day outside a cattle-call chem class waiting for the lecture to begin, reading "Monkey House", with tears streaming down my cheeks. I was about ten or fifteen years older than most of my classmates ... this was at Cal Poly in SLO ... people didn't seem to get it. But that's okay, because I didn't really understand them, either. ;-)

Vonnegut is one of my favorite favorite people to read.

And yes, Slaughterhouse Five permanently altered me as well.

I haven't read or re-read anything by Kurt Vonnegut in years, but after going through some online obits and seeing titles I had forgotten about (God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and Welcome to the Monkey House come to mind) I realize I need to take a look through my bookcases. More than ever we need to listen to what old Kurt had to say about how technology dehumanizes, war traumatizes, and how utterly absurd life as we know it can be.

"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."

--KV