OK, so he is not dead, but I am remembering first finding out about Kurt Vonnegut. I am reminded because I just read A Man Without a Country, his 2005 semi-memoirs, semi-rant, semi-autobiography.
Like almost everything by Vonnegut, it is worth the read, and this volume is so slim that your wisdom returned/time invested ratio is very high. It is in paperback and not very expensive (compared to gasoline).
Now I am thinking about how my college roommate David introduced me to Breakfast of Champions, and we both wanted to know more about Kilgore Trout, so Venus on the Halfshell was next. Next up was our friend Mike who shared his copy of Cat's Cradle, and the world of Bokkonon and Ice-Nine was opened. And, much later, I find out that Kevin had an epiphany reading Slaughterhouse-Five. and may actually believe he is Billy Pilgrim.
Vonnegut should be just that - a shared discovery. I came to Ellison and Mailer and Kesey and Bellow through the tradtional channels (literature courses in college), but Vonnegut! He ought to be something you get from your friends, like dope or the girl's name in your psych class that you want to meet (shout out to Susan C.).
So, I give it a ten - you can really dance to it!
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