Thursday, November 11, 2010

Happy Birthday, Kurt Vonnegut!

November 11, is the birth date of Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The son of successful Indianapolis architect, was born in Indianapolis in 1922. This quirky author often blended "science fiction with humor, and the absurd with pointed social commentary." He was known for his satire and created his own worlds filled with unique and colorful characters. Slaughterhouse Five, listed on Time Magazine's 100 Best Book List, recalls some of Vonnegut's own experiences during World War II.  Like his character Billy Pilgrim, Vonnegut was a prisoner of war  in Dresden, Germany when it was fire-bombed by the allies.  His first hand experience of the carnage and destruction affected him the rest of his life. In 1970, Vonnegut was able to quit his job as a publicist for General Electric and devote his time to writing.  His unique writing style -- "long sentences with little punctuation as well as his humanist point of view" distinguished him from other contemporary writers.

Noted Vonnegut works available at Crawfordsville District Public Library are :  Breakfast of Champions , Slaughterhouse Five , Bluebeard , Galapagos,  Look at the Birdie , and Armageddon in Retrospect.


See works by Vonnegut @ CDPL!

Sources:
Kurt Vonnegut Biography: http://www.biography.com/articles/Kurt-Vonnegut-9520329
Kurt Vonnegut: http://www.notablebiographies.com/Tu-We/Vonnegut-Kurt.html

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