Readers of deadissue know how I loved this guy. My heart goes out to his family, friends, fans and every character to escape from his mind onto the pages upon pages upon pages of timeless thoughts and words all destined to outlive everyone.
I myself feel that our country, for whose Constitution I fought in a just war, might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers. Sometimes I wish it had been. What has happened, though, is that it has been taken over by means of the sleaziest, low-comedy, Keystone Cops-style coup d’etat imaginable. And those now in charge of the federal government are upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography, plus not-so-closeted white supremacists, aka “Christians,” and plus, most frighteningly, psychopathic personalities, or “PPs.” – Vonnegut in a 2003 interview
Came over to see if you’d heard the news. I wonder if he, sub-consciously, heeded the Roman adage about honorable men not living through dishonorable times. I hope that he didn’t die too angry or too bitter. For those who pay attention, as he did, these have been black days.
He will be missed. Fortunately for us his readers, a writer — like a thought — is immortal. Unfortunately for his friends and family and all the words he’d yet to write, the light is out.
I’ve been putting off his last book on purpose, as I know from interviews he gave last year that it was about the times we are living in currently.
Some part of me believes that the announcement of tour extensions for all soldiers in Iraq was a last straw, though that is undoubtedly my romantic voice assigning such meaning.
Sad today, sad tomorrow, but with the death of a writer only a part of them goes away.
I enjoyed the Vonnegut that I read. What a life the man had. We should all be so lucky.
Good Night, Mother Night