It really was with great sadness that I read about the death of Kurt Vonnegut. One of my fav all time writers and an all round good bloke to boot.
Just about all his books are worth the time invested, but if pushed I would particularly recommend Breakfast of Champions and Galapagos.
I liked Vonnegut's books because they were good books, and not for any other reason, certainly not because of his beliefs and values. But it so happens that Vonnegut was a very open and proud Humanist.
I am sure there will be some great tributes to Kurt out there on the net, but to finish my short bewailing of a loss of a great man, let's leave with this quite from Kurt from 2003, when asked permission by the American Humanist Association to use one of his quotes:
““I
am a humanist, which
means, in part, that I have tried to behave decently without expectations of
rewards or punishments after I am dead...
...Find here my permission for you to quote any damn fool thing I’ve ever said or written, throughout all eternity, and without any further notice or compensation to me.”
So it goes...
Sadly as a byproduct of Viacoms turf war with youtube you can't see The Daily Show interviewing Kurt Vonnegut there. You may be able to find it on the Comedy Central website. Well worth a viewing to see Kurt at his most cantankerous and witty. Also a strong reminder that for every "dumb American" there is a smart one not getting enough airtime.
Posted by: Martin Bentley | April 16, 2007 at 08:29 PM