Kurt Vonnegut = Mark Twain

[AnnieBW]

Is it just me, or does Kurt Vonnegut (Stewart's current guest) look like Mark Twain?

[Kazak]

1. He not only looks like him...

He's our modern day equivalent, in many ways.

[tallahasseedem]

2. He's brilliant.

Pure and simple.

[MnFats]

3. Vonnegut is a god!

I'm proud to say I once shook his hand!

[OldLeftieLawyer]

4. I had dinner with him when I was a kid

His best friend from the Army during WWII was an attorney in our town, and Mr. Vonnegut and he used to visit each other. Once, when he was visiting, Mr. O'Hare, who was also my family's attorney, invited us to dinner.

I was a budding journalist, writing for my high school paper. We talked about writing, and how hard it was, and how people had to be crazy to want to be writers.

A lifetime later, when my first novel was published, I sent him a copy, with a letter reminding him of when we met. He wrote back and recounted much of our dinner together, which just amazed me. In the interim, I had married a man who could have been his twin. He told me that was a big mistake, and, as Mr. Vonnegut always is, he was right.

His new book, by the way, is a damn joy. Don't miss it. It'll be his last. He's 82 years old.

[Kazak]

5. His new book.

Is it actually out yet?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. Yeah

My editor at HarperCollins sent me a copy about a month ago, and that's usually when they're released. She sends me stuff as soon as they're out, so I assume it's in the bookstores now.

It's so fine............

[Kazak]

8. I'll be stopping by the bookstore tomorrow then.

Thanks. :)

[saged52]

16. how many books has Kurt Vonnegut written?

I have twelve on my shelf - and then there's "Breakfast of Champions" which I loaned out years ago & was never returned. It has been my plan to reread them all - his recent appearances have inspired me so much.

[BrklynLiberal]

9. He was on Bill Maher and on Jon Stewart tonight mentioning it..so it

must be out.

He IS brilliant.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. Last? Don't count anybody out, please.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

17. He already said he was finished writing novels

This latest is just a collection of his essays, so it's not really new, and it's certainly not a novel. Essays are a whole lot easier than fiction writing, and, to be honest, some of them are a little self-indulgent. It's also a very slender volume.

At 83, he owes us nothing.

[babylonsister]

6. Yes, he was a warm fuzzy- I love him! And being smart

made him even better!

[Tom Joad]

11. Slaughterhouse five... another book that changed my life

I was assigned this in a college class decades ago. The instructor was a beautiful man and he helped us see what Kurt was saying.

Kurt went through the bombing of dresden. That is where he learned to hate war so much. I picked it up from him... and from Hiroshima, Johnny got his gun (one of the greatest anti-war rants in fiction, read it here http://tomjoad.org/johnnygothisgun.htm ) , and a few others, not to mention The Grapes of Wrath, even if it ain't specifically an antiwar novel.

[FVZA_Colonel]

12. I did read it in my senior year in HS

I was never quite so entranced and disgusted (in the way he probably hoped readers would be) with a book as I was with that one.

[RedRocco]

13. dont forget

Player Piano, thats one everyone should read

[AzDar]

14. I was taken aback by how frail he appeared on Bill Maher....He was

still the most eloquent and relevant guest on that evening.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

18. Save for .......

....... George Carlin's characterization of Barbara Bush as "the silver douchebag."

[Must_B_Free]

15. Roommate and I both said the same

probably an intentional cultivation.

[babylonsister]

19. Ya mean he's a lousy imitation?

I couldn't resist!