RIP Kurt Vonnegut

I know he was old. And I know his books were odd sometimes non-sensical, but I actually liked Kurt Vonnegut's stuff.

In my junior year of high school, I took an American Literature class, in which we each had to study a particular author and do a massive project on that author. As each class member presented his/her project, we had to read one book by that person's author, in order to understand the presentation a little better. (at least it seems like that was the way it worked).

One of my classmates studied Kurt Vonnegut. And I read Cat's Cradle. I remember thinking that it was insane writing. I remember having to re-read passages multiple times to keep up with what was going on. But I also remember liking it.

Many years later, I also remember Ben reading aloud to a couple of us at his apartment one night out of Breakfast of Champions. I don't know if it was just the selections he chose, or the warped sense of humor I had developed in my theatre influenced college years, but I laughed out loud. A lot.

Apparently Mr. Vonnegut had a major psychotic breakdown in the late 60's, and he hasn't written a novel in decades, but he was, at one point, an incredible writer. And I'm a little sad that he'll never write again.

Rest In Peace