Reason # 509 Kurt Vonnegut will be missed

As you probably know by now, Dresden bombing survivor and towering literary genius of the later 20th century Kurt Vonnegut died earlier week after suffering a fall. You’ve undoubtedly heard a lot about Vonnegut in the past few days, but here’s something you probably haven’t seen before:

The postcard was sent to Mr. Gregory after he “sent him [Vonnegut] a graduation announcement, with a silly note saying something to the effect that I would not have made it [to graduation] without him.” Besides writing wonderfully quirky novels bathed in dark wit, Vonnegut a generally hilarious human being. Here are some samples of things you may not have known about the Mark Twain of the 20th century:

• - In an interview in 2003 with In These Times Vonnegut was asked if he had any ideas for a really scary reality TV show. To which he replied: “‘C-students from Yale.’ It would stand your hair on end.”
• - (From Wikipedia): Vonnegut reportedly smoked Pall Mall cigarettes, unfiltered, which he claimed is a “classy way to commit suicide.”
• - Cat’s Cradle was accepted as Vonnegut’s thesis earning him a Master of the Arts in Anthropology from the University of Chicago.
• - (From Wikipedia): In Chapter 18 of his book Palm Sunday “The Sexual Revolution,” Vonnegut grades his own works. He states that the grades “do not place me in literary history” and that he is comparing “myself with myself.” The grades are as follows:
  

  • Player Piano: B
  • The Sirens of Titan: A
  • Mother Night: A
  • Cat’s Cradle: A-plus
  • God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater: A
  • Slaughterhouse-Five: A-plus
  • Welcome to the Monkey House: B-minus
  • Happy Birthday, Wanda June: D
  • Breakfast of Champions: C
  • Slapstick: D
  • Jailbird: A
  • Palm Sunday: C

• - And last but certainly not least is one of my favorite Vonnegut quotes, which is quite apropos: “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don’t let anybody tell you different.“