Balls and Walnuts
more than you ever wanted to know
Give Him hell, Kurt
From Cat’s Cradle, the Bokononist Calypso:
Someday, someday this world will have to end,
And our God will take things back that He to us did lend.
And if, on that sad day, you want to scold our God,
Why go right ahead and scold Him. He’ll just smile and nod.
Kurt Vonnegut died today at 84. When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, Vonnegut introduced me to the Big Questions — fate, free will, the truth and falsehood of religion. So much. I have warm feelings towards him, much as I do for any wise teacher.
Rest in peace.
Sorry for the brief post, but my Internet is down, and it’s a bitch blogging on the Blackberry. See ya tomorrow.
D
I didn’t come across Vonnegut till I was in my twenties. He was always an interesting writer.
“An old fart smelling of mustard gas and roses”. Is that right? It’s been awhile. Bless his heart. Kurt began opening my eyes at the tender age of 12 or 13, with Slaughterhouse 5 and Welcome to the Monkey House. Opener and opener with each read through the years.
To repeat what someone else has said somewhere else: Kurt is up in heaven now.
I am Gutted!!
I will admit I’ve not read any Vonnegut Sr., one book from Jr. that was bit weird and I couldn’t tell you the name of, but otherwise I’m not privy to the genius everyone else is. But then I remembered I had read something many years ago that impressed me. He did a graduation speech for Harvard and it was wonderful. All about not growing up too fast, go back to youth, give up now. So I thought I’d chip in with my ode of Vonnegut.
So I google for it and you know what: It was a fake!! He never did a grad speech at Harvard, or MIT or any other university that claims he made this wonderful speech. It started with the wise advice, “Wear Sunscreen.” Turns out it was a newspaper article written by a Chicago journalist!! She wrote to wear sunscreen as she was diagnosed with skin cancer. It’s one thing to be plagiarized or misquoted but to have such wonderful words, but given a complete urban legend – shocking!!
I’m humbled by the story – but the words still mean a lot. Oh well – I guess I’ll just have to read Slaughterhouse 5.