From my blog, "Brauer: That Sailor of Buzios"

Thursday, April 12, 2007
Obituarium

Kurt Vonnegut died last night; he wrote:

We had forgotten that wars were fought by babies.
When I saw those freshly shaved faces, it was a shock.
My God, my God -- I said to myself, "It's the Children's Crusade."

_________________________

When the last living thing
has died on account of us,
how poetical it would be
if Earth could say,
in a voice floating up
perhaps
from the floor
of the Grand Canyon,
"it is done."
People did not like it here.

---------------------requiescat in pace, Kurt. ----------
Labels: Obituarium

I was sorry to see him go. He was one of my favorite writers. I particularly enjoyed Cat's Cradle, and I loved his essay in Palm Sunday about how The Class of 57 by the Statler Brothers would be a more appropriate national anthem for us.

Great writer, ice-nine, great stuff

So it goes.

Slapstick or Lonesome no More - is my best one. Really good talent and also sad to see him go...

He was so good. I miss him so much. I found this article. He feels like me.

http://www.unboundedition.com/content/view/198/50/

http://www.unboundedition.com/

So it goes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atABhlMLYvU

Wow -- that is just terribly sad. This is the first I heard of it. I didn't enjoy writing very much at all until I read Vonnegut. Once I discovered him I tore through so many books and he really inspired me by illustrating that the way in which a story is told can be most of the fun.

I agree with Randy -- "Cat's Cradle" is pretty hard to beat. I think "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" comes close though, and of course "Slaughterhouse-Five". I've almost destroyed all three of those from re-reading.