New Jen's Horde


Thursday, April 12, 2007

It's late and I'm tired,

 
so I don't have anything clever or witty to say about this. But, I just read that Kurt Vonnegut died on Wednesday.

I've been a fan of his work since I read The Sirens of Titan for my senior year Humor in Literature class. I was deliberately trying to find something to read that didn't just snap right into the mold of the assignment, pretty common behavior at the time. I can't remember how I picked this book, but I do remember having to get special permission from the teacher to use it to fulfill the class requirements. It was a great read, and I went on devour just about everything else he'd written.

From the article:
"When Hemingway killed himself he put a period at the end of his life; old age is more like a semicolon," Vonnegut told The Associated Press in 2005.

"My father, like Hemingway, was a gun nut and was very unhappy late in life. But he was proud of not committing suicide. And I'll do the same, so as not to set a bad example for my children."
It sounds like he was ready to go, and no one could argue that he didn't lead a full and fascinating life. I hope all is well with him now.

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Comments:
I read that even though he smoked it wasn't cancer or lung problems that got him...it was a brain injury from a fall.
Kurt was a required read when I was in High School, but I don't remember which of his works we had to read (because I didn't do it). I just wasn't into that kind of stuff.
 
I discovered Vonnegut my freshman year of college and went on to read everything of his I could. Sad to hear that he's gone.

So it goes.
 
i saw this in the paper today as well.
very sad indeed.
 
Oh bother. I hadn't heard. Well, it was a long and productive life. And if his only contribution to the world had been "Harrison Bergeron" it would have been a wonderful life, indeed. All the rest was just gravy. Rest in peace, Mr. V.
 
I read most of his early work when I was in college too.
 
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