I used to draw cartoons when I was 12ish. My home room teacher, just a starting point for the day and attendance taker, told me not to waste my time. She was normally nice, l but I was crushed. Can't the teachers name (it's been over 50 years) but not her words. Words hurt.
One of my favorite lines of music features him! "I've got a Vonnegut punch for your Atlas shrugged"- RTJ *Ju$t* It has so many layers and is just deeply.... Educated? I think that's the right word, for the medium. People think rap is just dumb or ghetto lyrics but it is not always, and RTJ is a perfect example of what it can be.
This is the wisdom I want in our national legislature & political leadership. SO TIRED of the lying, greedy, for-sale-to-highest-bidder politicians. And those are the marginally COMPETENT ones.
My only - ONLY - problem with this is extremely subjective. While I agree with the idea of destroying the poem because it emphasizes the act of creation for creation's sake, I have a very hard time discarding a final product. I meticulously recovered 500+ poems I wrote as a teen from a damaged hard drive, and lament the few I know I lost. They're distilled memories, snapshots of time that I love to revisit.
Both exclusive and inclusive of this one point, it's incredible advice. Go and create.
Seen it a couple of times before .. but I always enjoy reading this. Such awesome advice that comes from a life well lived. At that age.. you stop thinking about money or success .. and start to examine the human condition. I’d like to think someone in that class had their life changed for the better with that advice
Have you ever done the assignment? I've come across this before too but never actually thought about doing the assignment. Until now... but I'll forget without a deadline.
For folks wondering about “tennis without a net”, it’s a reference to a line that Robert Frost liked to use in talks and letters: “Composing free verse is like playing tennis with a net down”. It warms my heart that Kurt was a fan of Frost, because I am a fan of both.
But I like free verse. It allows you to discover internal structures (whether accidental or intended) and it allows you to emphasise the parts that appeal to you, thereby making the poem in part your own. That said, I have nothing against more formal verse styles. À chacun son goût.
Paradise Lost is a masterpiece of blank verse. Coincidentally I read both Paradise Lose and Slaughterhouse-Five in the same year, and both have made it into my list of favorite books, though obviously for very different reasons.
Yea we really should encourage people to write more poems, regardless of what style. World would be a better place if more people spent their time just writing poems.
Embrace the absurd, frolic with abandon, do strange little things that make you smile or snicker with delight... carry a sharpie with you and draw silly faces on random landscaping pebbles if you must... take the edge off of the weight of the world one tiny stone at a time.
I gave my only copy to a coworker nearly 15 years ago and he said would, "get it back to me as soon as he could." I adamantly refused, since I believe with my whole heart that books you love should be given freely, not loaned. It's a policy that has made me fast friends with people from all walks of life and I will continue this practice until I'm in the ground.
As someone living in Dresden it was an incredible read, the slaughterhouse is actually still standing and being used as a concert hall (though audio quality is sadly not the best)
That looks like something belonging in my psychology lectures a while bk. Was something about how brain lesion issue can cause people to draw very oddly. Hope the fine fellas doing good.
TheRicM
Is he the Seize the Day professor from Community?
Sasurau
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
Kurt Vonnegut.
Easily my favorite (among many) quotes from Vonnegut.
NAbsentia
I love him.
Jessebob42
I used to draw cartoons when I was 12ish. My home room teacher, just a starting point for the day and attendance taker, told me not to waste my time. She was normally nice, l but I was crushed. Can't the teachers name (it's been over 50 years) but not her words. Words hurt.
AbelardSnazz
we had to write aa letter to an author in English class - out of 30 of us, only the kid who wrote to Ursula K LeGuin got a reply
PirateRubberDuck
Good advice. I have written some poetry that I think is great and am really proud of. I have also lost all of it and never shared it with anyone.
DocFord
One of my favorite lines of music features him! "I've got a Vonnegut punch for your Atlas shrugged"- RTJ *Ju$t* It has so many layers and is just deeply.... Educated? I think that's the right word, for the medium. People think rap is just dumb or ghetto lyrics but it is not always, and RTJ is a perfect example of what it can be.
VinnyVeritas
This is the wisdom I want in our national legislature & political leadership. SO TIRED of the lying, greedy, for-sale-to-highest-bidder politicians. And those are the marginally COMPETENT ones.
Tomigami
My only - ONLY - problem with this is extremely subjective. While I agree with the idea of destroying the poem because it emphasizes the act of creation for creation's sake, I have a very hard time discarding a final product. I meticulously recovered 500+ poems I wrote as a teen from a damaged hard drive, and lament the few I know I lost. They're distilled memories, snapshots of time that I love to revisit.
Both exclusive and inclusive of this one point, it's incredible advice. Go and create.
zentropy
fartharder
"Fuck me?! Fuck YOU!!"
SprinklesMckitten
#1 .
doctorId
Pretty much my favorite author. Even though he could be pretty cynical, he still understood what living a good life is about.
gtollie
Seen it a couple of times before .. but I always enjoy reading this. Such awesome advice that comes from a life well lived. At that age.. you stop thinking about money or success .. and start to examine the human condition. I’d like to think someone in that class had their life changed for the better with that advice
Ilikekites
Have you ever done the assignment? I've come across this before too but never actually thought about doing the assignment. Until now... but I'll forget without a deadline.
ididntgetthejobatfruitloops
Agreed
viila
Kurt Vonnegut is one of those authors whose whole careers was examining the human condition.
DanCodyComics
So it goes.
keenharlequin
For folks wondering about “tennis without a net”, it’s a reference to a line that Robert Frost liked to use in talks and letters: “Composing free verse is like playing tennis with a net down”. It warms my heart that Kurt was a fan of Frost, because I am a fan of both.
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2021/05/24/poem-tennis/
Bunnies007
But I like free verse. It allows you to discover internal structures (whether accidental or intended) and it allows you to emphasise the parts that appeal to you, thereby making the poem in part your own. That said, I have nothing against more formal verse styles. À chacun son goût.
NOYLL
Paradise Lost is a masterpiece of blank verse. Coincidentally I read both Paradise Lose and Slaughterhouse-Five in the same year, and both have made it into my list of favorite books, though obviously for very different reasons.
WhyShouldILoveYou
Yea we really should encourage people to write more poems, regardless of what style. World would be a better place if more people spent their time just writing poems.
CallMeMcGyver
Embrace the absurd, frolic with abandon, do strange little things that make you smile or snicker with delight... carry a sharpie with you and draw silly faces on random landscaping pebbles if you must... take the edge off of the weight of the world one tiny stone at a time.
bigdix69420
Slaughterhouse Five qaa one of my favorite books
NOYLL
So rarely do you find books that will have you laughing from your gut on one page and crying bitter tears the next.
MyRespectableAlterEgo
"Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt"
DarthWaiterSE
I gave my only copy to a coworker nearly 15 years ago and he said would, "get it back to me as soon as he could." I adamantly refused, since I believe with my whole heart that books you love should be given freely, not loaned. It's a policy that has made me fast friends with people from all walks of life and I will continue this practice until I'm in the ground.
DrWhy9
As someone living in Dresden it was an incredible read, the slaughterhouse is actually still standing and being used as a concert hall (though audio quality is sadly not the best)
ididntgetthejobatfruitloops
needs more slaughter to improve the acoustics
Grimmrog
and here we are not drwaing pictures but making stupid memes
Gibleteousjack
tinytyrant
Sticklebrickk
Best character
laserfork
"Compromise, my friend, is the essence of diplomacy, and diplomacy is the cornerstone of love."
GradiustheFox
He's a shockingly nice guy for an eldritch abomination.
Maulbert
Dr. Henry Killinger and his magic murderbag.
tinytyrant
WarlockWithNoPatron
Always faithful terrible lizard
TwoDogsFucking
Hey, you cropped out his self portrait!
masterpainimeanbetty1
here is an asshole: *
Merrymepenelope
Thank you for fixing the post; the self portrait literally MAKES this letter, since he references his appearance earlier on. Bravo!
I absolutely love your attention to detail, TwoDogsFucking!!!
oldguyexlurker
Guy draws lousy iguanas. But he probably enjoyed the experience.
OceansRust
So it goes...
Goldensands
That looks like something belonging in my psychology lectures a while bk. Was something about how brain lesion issue can cause people to draw very oddly. Hope the fine fellas doing good.
HappyTimeHollis
He's been dead for a number of years now.
Goldensands
Ah. Well. While he was around at least.
netutoring
If you also notice he includes his signature in there, too.... or that's really obvious and I'm an idiot for pointing it out:)
mikeatike
The self portrait is usually part of his signature. It's great.
spontaneous9
netutoring
I can live with that.
Greymalum
He looks better than an iguana.
BananaForScaIe
Everything reminds me of her
DarkHollowDulcimers
groovinlow
I was gonna say, he doesn't NOT look like an iguana...
GravyEducation
Hey that looks a little like Kilgore Trout
Theshnazzyone
Well of course it does. Vonnegut is Trout, trout is Vonnegut.
KenzoFKC
Yes! Contemporary of the esteemed Horselover Fat!
thegarts
Who?
dankymang
A repeat character in Vonnegut works.
thegarts
I am not very well-read
Gra55hopper
You can change that right now and make your soul grow. I recommend Slaughterhouse Five