Thank You, Kurt Vonnegut by Gael Fashingbauer Cooper
The most shocking thing about losing Kurt Vonnegut was realizing he was already 84. Something about that shock of curly hair, the mischievious face, and above all, the accessibility of his writing made him seem forever thirtysomething. We thought we'd have him around forever, that he'd somehow managed to pull a Billy Pilgrim and come unstuck in time.Last Night, Kilgore Trout Died by Chris Higgs
All of Tralfamadore is in mourning. Here on earth, we too feel the empty space left by one of our greatest American writers: Kurt Vonnegut.Kurt Vonnegut: Provocative, Harrowing and Funny to the End by Karen R. Long
"He's the closest thing we've had to Voltaire," the writer Tom Wolfe told the Associated Press Thursday. "It's a sad day for the literary world."
A Life Touched by the Late Kurt Vonnegut by Robin A. Rothman
I didn't know Kurt Vonnegut; he didn't know me. I'm one of so many fans who'll say "This man and his works have had a profound effect on who I am." His biting social commentary, imaginative science fiction, inspirational humanism and courageous self-awareness spoke to me in a way no other author ever has, or probably will.Writers Praise Kurt Vonnegut by Hillel Italie
Novelist Rick Moody, not even born when Vonnegut started publishing, recalled reading his books "several times" and wondered if "I could have gotten through my middle teens without him."
"I liked him for world-weary gentleness, warmth, and comedy. And he was pretty darned imaginative, too, which is never a fault in my world," said the 45-year-old Moody, best known for "The Ice Storm," a satire set in the 1970s.
"He was the kind of writer who made people - young people, especially - want to write," added Jonathan Safran Foer, the 30-year-old author of "Everything is Illuminated." "He wrote the kinds of books you pass around."
For countless teenagers, reading Vonnegut was as much an entry into adult life as your first beer. The world became funnier, more dangerous, more exciting. If you were looking to send up authority, question life's meaning or face the worst and keep your sense of humor, Vonnegut was your teacher.
