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Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007)

C

cmccarten

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 29, 2006
79
1
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/11/books/11cnd-vonnegut.html?pagewanted=2&hp

it was a pleasure to read you. thanks for introducing me to the world of ideas when i was just a young boy.

from cat's cradle
"Tiger got to hunt
Bird got to fly
Man got to sit and wonder 'Why, why, why?'

Tiger got to sleep
Bird got to land
Man got to tell himself he understand.”

and from man without a country (a really stirring and emotional read)
"When the last living thing
has died on account of us,
how poetical it would be
if Earth could say,
in a voice floating up
perhaps
from the floor
of the Grand Canyon,
“It is done.”
People did not like it here."
 
SMM

SMM

macrumors 65816
Sep 22, 2006
1,334
0
Tiger Mountain - WA State
What a trip. Today when I was posting on the un-American thread, I thought of using his Tralagafornians as an example of people who cover their ears, and make loud sounds, so they would not have to listen to untruths. However, I did not know how to spell 'Tralagafornians' (still do not), and did not want to have to explain who they were. But, it got me thinking about Kurt. I had a very enjoyable 2+ hour muse about the man and his writing. Thanks for sharing, Kurt! I really enjoyed taking those journeys with you. RIP! ;)
 
solvs

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
One of my favorite authors. I loved his style. Still have a book he wrote on how to be a better writer. Changed my life.

Just saw him on the Daily Show not too long ago. He didn't look so good, but was still able to get out a few zingers. He will definitely be missed.

So it goes... :(
 
J

jruc4871

macrumors regular
May 4, 2005
131
0
Washington, DC
A friend of mine dug this up...

"The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the
past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments, past, present, and future, always have existed, always will
exist. The Tralfamadorians can look at all the different moments just the way we can look at a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, for instance. They can see how permanent all the moments are, and they can look at any moment that interests them. It is just an illusion we have here on Earth that one moment follows another one, like beads on a string, and that once a moment is gone it is gone forever.

"When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in bad condition at that particular moment, but that the
same person is just fine in plenty of other moments. Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the
Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes.'"

- Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Slaughterhouse-Five
 
RedTomato

RedTomato

macrumors 601
Mar 4, 2005
4,155
442
.. London ..
Enjoy your trip to Traflamadore, Kurt.

I wrote various sci-fi / imaginative stories inspired by you when I was a teenager.

You've contributed to my feelings of 'oddness' as I sit in modern society, looking at the absurdities and kind humanities around me.

So it goes.

RIP.
 
IJ Reilly

IJ Reilly

macrumors P6
Jul 16, 2002
17,909
1,496
Palookaville
I heard Vonnegut say many years ago that he never revised anything he wrote, that it all came out the first time just as he wanted it. Possibly this was a function of his view of life as an array of random events and tragicomic anarchy, but it always amazed me nonetheless. It takes tremendous discipline, talent and courage for a writer to say "this is as perfect as it gets" with a first draft -- and produce good and even great writing as a result.
 
mac 2005

mac 2005

macrumors 6502a
Apr 1, 2005
782
126
Chicago
Abstract said:
Are there any great writers around right now to take his place in our world? What, no volunteers?

:eek:
Click to expand...

There are great writers, but I daresay that Vonnegut's combination of laugh-out-loud humor, inconsolable despair, righteous anger and boundless compassion is unique in ways that will probably never be equaled.
 
rdowns

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
IJ Reilly said:
Only a dozen posts to mark the passing of the great Kurt Vonnegut. Ah well. I suppose he never did appear on American Idol.
Click to expand...

or call anyone a nappy headed ho.

RIP Mr. Vonnegut- thanks for the great reads.

I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.
Kurt Vonnegut
 
solvs

solvs

macrumors 603
Jun 25, 2002
5,684
1
LaLaLand, CA
IJ Reilly said:
Only a dozen posts to mark the passing of the great Kurt Vonnegut.
Click to expand...
Only a handful in the other thread too.

As I said in that one, he was one of my favorite authors. I loved his style. Still have a book he wrote on how to be a better writer. Changed my life.

Just saw him on the Daily Show not too long ago. He didn't look so good, but was still able to get out a few zingers. He will definitely be missed.

So it goes... :(
 
P

polevault139

macrumors 6502
Sep 24, 2006
342
0
Illinois
I have bever personally read any of his books, but a friend of mine absolutley loves him. I think I will have to pick up some of his books. Its pretty depressing however to see such an acclaimed writer die. From what I've read lately there arent too many modern day writers that I like as much as some older ones.
 
M

MartyMoe

macrumors regular
May 8, 2006
116
0
I am not really sure, as I don't have a GPS. It's
IJ Reilly said:
Only a dozen posts to mark the passing of the great Kurt Vonnegut. Ah well. I suppose he never did appear on American Idol.
Click to expand...

I just was very busy today and didn't get a chance to post.


He will definitely be missed; while I didn't read all of his works, the stuff I did was very thought-provoking. Just as one example, I recently came across a reference to him and his Ice-Nine, that re-forms what it touches into forming into similar patterns, in reference to Prions.

His ideas will still be around.

And I think "so it goes" is the perfect tribute and he would approve-- and laugh.
 
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