Author Kurt Vonnegut dies at age 84

[Sefton]

NEW YORK (AFP) - Kurt Vonnegut, the creator of wry science fiction and black comedy, much of it built on his experience as a World War II prisoner of war who survived the horrific Dresden bombing, died late Tuesday, the New York times reported.


Vonnegut was the author of "SlaughterHouse Five," widely rated as one of the finest American novels of the 20th century, "Cat's Cradle," and "Breakfast of Champions."

He died in New York City after suffering brain injuries in a fall several weeks ago, according to his longtime friend Morgan Entrekin, the Times reported on its website Wednesday
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070412/en_afp/entertainmentbookspeoplevonnegut_070412040539

The movie "Slaughterhouse Five" first got my interest in his writings. A strange and wonderful book. One of the best....
sad news.

 

[Kim_B]

A great loss in the literary community...he's a guy I'm proud to say was born in Indiana.

 

[Senator Jack]

I can now say all my heroes are gone. Ran into Kurt a few times on the street. Sometimes he'd just be sitting on a bench smoking a cigarette. I knew he didn't like to be bothered so I would just say hello and thanks.

Funny how Brittany Spears shaves her head and it's front page news. We lose one of our greatest writers and everyone asks 'who?'


Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[Doctor Strange]

Ironically, I just bought a copy of Slaughterhouse Five for my teenage son a few weeks ago - he's been reading my old classic SF novels for years, and I was thinking that he was ready for something with a little wider scope and greater seriousness.

This is quite a loss: he was a great genre-defying writer. (BTW, my own personal favorite Vonnegut novel is The Sirens of Titan.)

 

[Senator Jack]

Yeah, I'd have to go with Sirens, Breakfast, and Bluebeard. Actually, Kurt's looking down on me now as I write this. I have his autographed picture hung over my desk.

 

[Feraud]

That is sad news. I distinctly remember checking his books out from our local library when I was a teenager. They were eye opening reads.

Funny how Brittany Spears shaves her head and it's front page news. We lose one of our greatest writers and everyone asks 'who?'


Regards,

Senator Jack

Exactly. If Vonnegut had had pulled an "upskirt" publicity stunt we could have ten pages of dialogue on him.

 

[Hondo]

He was talented, interesting writer, strange sense of humor, hence the headstone epitaph: “Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt.” But much of his life was traumatic and left him in pain (which I can sympathize) as he battled depression, even joked about failed suicide attempt, all related to his being POW in WWII. I am glad he lived lasted this long, truly gifted and will be missed, R.I.P.

 

[griffer]

Not everyone says, "Who?"

"All the best writers are dead."

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Burroughs, Bellow, Asimov, Vonnegut ...


Why do they have to die?

.

 

[Senator Jack]

I remember watching Fox 5 News when Burroughs checked out. Of course the anchor went on about his heroine addiction, but I had to laugh when he said of the octagenerian, 'another life cut short by drugs.'

 

[WEEGEE]

Missed

http://www.albany.edu/writers-inst/vonnegutkurt.html


Saw him give a talk on his mathematical theory
of how story lines develop. . .amazing speaker as well as writer!

Kurt Vonnegut in November 2000. (Stacey Lauren / Albany Times Union)

 

[Shearer]

Can't believe no one said it yet:

"So it goes."

Rest in peace, Mr. Vonnegut

 

[Hondo]

Can't believe no one said it yet:

"So it goes."

Rest in peace, Mr. Vonnegut

Hon, Someone did say R.I.P. for Mr. Vonnegut, short of Rest in peace

 

[Senator Jack]

Listen.

 

[WEEGEE]

Slaughterhouse Five

''When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in a bad condition in that particular moment, but that same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes'.''

 

[Shearer]

Hon, Someone did say R.I.P. for Mr. Vonnegut, short of Rest in peace

Oh, sorry if I was unclear I was referring to Vonnegut's "So it goes" quote.

 

[Hondo]

Oh, sorry if I was unclear I was referring to Vonnegut's "So it goes" quote.

No need for apologies, myfault, I’m not familiar with all of his works, keep that the tongue sharpen

 

[griffer]

Not everyone says, "Who?"

"All the best writers are dead."

I was quoting him as well, "Mother Night".

 

[Pink Dahlia]

Amen Jack. Stupid Britney Spears.

I have to say I love "Harrison Bergeron." If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. It's a whole three pages. I'm sure you can track it down on the web.

Slaughterhouse 5 came recommended to me by a friend a long while ago. I have yet to read it. I best get going...

 

[Lincsong]

The scene in Back to School where Rodney Dangerfield's son opens the dorm door and Vonnegut is standing in the doorway waiting to see Rodney. Rodney hires him to write a book review, the teacher fails the paper and tells Rodney; "and whoever wrote that for you doesn't know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut"lol Then in another scene Rodney is yelling into the phone; "hey Vonnegut, read my lips *&^* you!"lol