Kurt Vonnegut Research Paper
Kurt Vonnegut passed away in 2007. If I had the chance to go back in time and smoke a Pall Mall with him, I wonder what I’d say. If I somehow managed to maintain my cool, perhaps I’d stare straight into his soul and mouth the words “So it goes” or as is the more probable outcome, crumble into a pathetic stuttering fanboy. I have probably read “Cat’s Cradle (1963)”, “The Monkey House (1968)” and “Slaughterhouse-Five (1969)” at least five times each and they are amongst my favorite books of all time.
Aside from his terrifically imaginative page-turners, Vonnegut is remembered for his forthrightness about both political and moral issues, as well as the importance of art. He advocated humanism and kindness both in interviews and in his books, with many of his novels littered with quotable advice on how to live well. As a writer, Vonnegut broke all the rules and it surprisingly worked. He was famously critical of the impersonal sterility of journalistic reporting, something that is still particularly emphasized in contemporary debates about how personal the writerly persona should be. In contrast newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writing, Vonnegut’s volumes reveal a lot about his inner psyche, revelations, accidental and intentional elements of expression to readers. According to Vonnegut, an empty headed writer has never been admired for his ability …show more content…
to mask ineptitude with mastery of language.
An example of his characteristic assertiveness can be observed when his book was not only banned, but burned in a school's furnace.
Vonnegut personally wrote a letter to the board of the school, stating, "If you were to bother to read my books, to behave as educated persons would, you would learn that they are not sexy, and do not argue in favor of wildness of any kind. They beg that people be kinder and more responsible than they often are. It is true that some of the characters speak coarsely. That is because people speak coarsely in real
life."
As an aspiring writer, I completely subscribe to Vonnegut’s style and draw tremendous inspiration from his unparalleled body of work and his magnetic persona: (1) It is important to stand up for what you believe in; (2) Laughter can cure just about anything; (3) Kindness matters; (4) KISS / Keep it simple, stupid! (5) Reading can only and will enrich your life; and lastly, (6) Art can be therapeutic.
Above all, Vonnegut also teaches us that patience is a virtue. Before he was an established writer, Vonnegut had to resort to selling cars at a Saab dealership after failing to pen an acceptable dissertation for his masters in anthropology. As writers too, who according to Vonnegut have the same intellect as cosmetic consultants at Bloomingdale’s, we have the luxury of sounding more intelligent by penning our thoughts repeated to hit that perfect combination of words and as he said “Anybody can do it. All it takes is time”
Aside from his terrifically imaginative page-turners, Vonnegut is remembered for his forthrightness about both political and moral issues, as well as the importance of art. He advocated humanism and kindness both in interviews and in his books, with many of his novels littered with quotable advice on how to live well. As a writer, Vonnegut broke all the rules and it surprisingly worked. He was famously critical of the impersonal sterility of journalistic reporting, something that is still particularly emphasized in contemporary debates about how personal the writerly persona should be. In contrast newspaper reporters and technical writers are trained to reveal almost nothing about themselves in their writing, Vonnegut’s volumes reveal a lot about his inner psyche, revelations, accidental and intentional elements of expression to readers. According to Vonnegut, an empty headed writer has never been admired for his ability …show more content…
to mask ineptitude with mastery of language.
An example of his characteristic assertiveness can be observed when his book was not only banned, but burned in a school's furnace.
Vonnegut personally wrote a letter to the board of the school, stating, "If you were to bother to read my books, to behave as educated persons would, you would learn that they are not sexy, and do not argue in favor of wildness of any kind. They beg that people be kinder and more responsible than they often are. It is true that some of the characters speak coarsely. That is because people speak coarsely in real
life."
As an aspiring writer, I completely subscribe to Vonnegut’s style and draw tremendous inspiration from his unparalleled body of work and his magnetic persona: (1) It is important to stand up for what you believe in; (2) Laughter can cure just about anything; (3) Kindness matters; (4) KISS / Keep it simple, stupid! (5) Reading can only and will enrich your life; and lastly, (6) Art can be therapeutic.
Above all, Vonnegut also teaches us that patience is a virtue. Before he was an established writer, Vonnegut had to resort to selling cars at a Saab dealership after failing to pen an acceptable dissertation for his masters in anthropology. As writers too, who according to Vonnegut have the same intellect as cosmetic consultants at Bloomingdale’s, we have the luxury of sounding more intelligent by penning our thoughts repeated to hit that perfect combination of words and as he said “Anybody can do it. All it takes is time”