Kurt Vonnegut, Writer of Classics of the American Counterculture, Dies at 84 – New York Times — An icon to many. Curiously his “official” website seems to have been taken down immediately including the Google cache. What’s left is here.
Kurt Vonnegut, whose dark comic talent and urgent moral vision in novels like “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Cat’s Cradle” and “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” caught the temper of his times and the imagination of a generation, died last night in Manhattan. He was 84 and had homes in Manhattan and in Sagaponack on Long Island.
His death was reported by Morgan Entrekin, a longtime family friend, who said Mr. Vonnegut suffered brain injuries as a result of a fall several weeks ago. Mr. Vonnegut wrote plays, essays and short fiction. But it was his novels that became classics of the American counterculture, making him a literary idol, particularly to students in the 1960s and ’70s. Dog-eared paperback copies of his books could be found in the back pockets of blue jeans and in dorm rooms on campuses throughout the United States.
You can still pull up his site on archive.org
of course it only up to April 27, 2006
This is truly a sad day. We’ve lost one of the greatest humanists – and finest all-around human beings – ever. But his works, and his spirit, will outlast us all. Let’s hope he’s joined Winston Niles Rumfoord and Kazak in their chronosynclastic infindibulum… 🙂
No damn cat. No damn cradle.
~ Little Newt
So it goes.
Thats depressing… yet another great author has passed
He will be missed by us all.
He’s with Montana Wildhack, now.
Stand up, take off your hat, and lower your eyes. A real American hero has passed.
Although some people say I’m illiterate (wrongo, my folks were married), I remember two references to KV. One was in the movie Footloose, where they mention censoring Slaughter House Five, and the other was as follows from the WikiPedia:
Vonnegut played himself in a cameo in 1986’s Back To School, in which he is hired by Rodney Dangerfield’s Thornton Melon to write a paper on the topic of the novels of Kurt Vonnegut. Recognizing the work as not Melon’s own, Professor Turner tells him, “Whoever did write this doesn’t know the first thing about Kurt Vonnegut.”
… a moment after that scene, Dangerfield’s character, Thornton Melon, is on the phone chewing out Vonnegut… funny stuff…
It’s been years since I read his books. At the time allot of it went over my head, but I still read him more. I have a couple of his books in my library, time to revisit and start reading him again.
It’s hard for me to think of all the influences various authors like Kurt Vonnegut, Rod Serling and others had on me. It’s hard to image how he was able to incorporate his own personal 1st hand experiences of unspeakable horrors in his novels and stories that guided and influence future generations; all maybe, in part to make people realize a better world possibility.
Not many people when expose to such inhumanity could remain sane and turn those experiences into timeless works. A true self made American. Our country now, really can’t afford to lose his lessons.
I know he would likely kindly dismiss it, but; God keep and bless him, and his family.
He’s in heaven now…
god bless you, mr. vonnegut
. I saw Kurt talk once at Manchester University. Afterwards he was doing the regular author thing and signing books. I watched the great man and, as each person came up and presented a brand new book for signing, Kurt looked up assessed the individual, put his name on the cover and finished with a large elaborate asterisk – something like
Good wishes
Kurt Vonnegut
*
but the * was much larger.
Check out chapter 8 of Breakfast of Champions for what I take to be the meaning
You and me both Kurt, you and me both
Ice Nine, good skating. Tears now turning to Ice Nine.
put his name on the cover and finished with a large elaborate asterisk
He was calling them assholes?
Or wide open beavers?
Etc etc and so on and so on.
Since last night, I read some summaries of his books. I’m now quite convinced that he had acquired a source of wonderfully potent drugs, and used them while writing.
… not that drugs are a bad thing, I like the herbs!
#15 – Really?!? *heavy sarcasm*
Him and Hunter Thompson both
With the exception of my own mother, he was my favorite author.
I highly recommend “Hocus Pocus” and “Timequake”, two of his lesser known books, to those who have not read them. They seem ever more relevant today.
He was the 20th century Mark Twain.
And I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts that he arranged for a great big * on his tombstone….wait and see!
Many of you may be surprised to know that before his death, (about 2 months ago) Kurt Vonnegut gave an interview on Alex Jones radio show, (yes I listen sometimes, it aint easy, but is entertaining), it could have been one of his last interviews. And he was definitely on the side of the 911 truth movement as being an inside job.
In honor of his death, I believe Alex will probably rerun that interview, I would. Believe it or not….I’m just sayin’………
18. Retraction. Kurt Vonnegut was scheduled to appear before he was taken ill. He had approached Alex about the 911 theories. It was Gore Vidal that I heard. My apologies.
http://tinyurl.com/38yo4c
I read an interview with him years ago. What stuck with me from that was his remark that, to be a hit with college students, he had learned, all you have to do is make your sentences “short and stupid.” Typical Vonnegut crooked-smile humor. I checked out that great “what’s left is here” link and all I can say is, sometimes “short and stupid” says it all. Eloquently.
I looked him up on Wikipedia yesterday after hearing a mention of Ice 9 in “The Recruit” without even knowing that he died.
Weird.
I think I’m going to reread some of his books now.
He was an utterly amazing guy, I just pooped, I was thinking of Kurt Vonnegut while doing so. It was fantastic and quick. I feel much better, now.