The scarf-wearing English majors of the world sometimes belittle Vonnegut's books for being sophomoric. And I'll admit that sometimes he was kind of silly. But being silly isn't the same thing as being facile. Everything he wrote positively dripped with imagination, and his books -- particularly Cat's Cradle, Welcome to the Monkey House, and the underrated Jailbird -- will be appreciated for a long time by anyone who uses books as a means to escape or explore. I've always liked the notion that good art creates an alternate universe that you immediately recognize as your own. Well, Vonnegut did that. So hey. Thanks, man. We'll miss you.
Hyperlinks:
- Writer Kurt Vonnegut, Voice of U.S. Counterculture, Dies [Washington Post]
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Kurt Vonnegut
1 comment:
He will, indeed, be missed. Easily one of my favorite authors and one of the better people out there.
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