Despite his eccentricities, kurt vonnegut was a rather pragmatic guy. Kurt vonnegut chose to spend his later years working on nonfiction. The top ten weird facts about legendary weirdo kurt vonnegut. Mark vonneguts battle with bipolar in his new memoir, just like someone without mental illness, only more so, pediatrician mark vonnegut explains how bipolar disorder has shaped. Facts, quizzes and trivia about kurt vonnegut characters, adolph eichmann, mother night, angela hoenikker, cats cradle and more. A dutydance with death, antiwar novel by kurt vonnegut, published in 1969. His last book was a man without a country, a collection of biographical essays. Vonnegut wrote about tragically horrible moments but. This is one of the reasons the vonnegut library exists to fight book bans and protect peoples. Kurt vonnegut 1922 2007 was born on november 11, in 1922 in indianapolis, indiana. In his book palm sunday, vonnegut graded his own books using a letter system, comparing his own works with each other. Vonnegut hated the semicolon and said that they are. He is most famous for his darkly satirical, bestselling novel slaughterhousefive.
How kurt vonnegut found his voice and his themes the new. The man with the golden arm 50th anniversary edition. Kurt vonnegut was born in indianapolis, indiana, on november 11, 1922. Kurt vonnegut 19222007 made his mark with his brilliant antiwar novel slaughterhousefive 1969, published during the height of the protests against the vietnam war. He served in world war ii as a soldier and was a pow who received a purple heart for what he called a frostbite. Published in 1963 by kurt vonnegut, cats cradle is a science fiction novel about the end of the world. Facts, information, quizzes and trivia on kurt vonnegut jr. It looks at science, technology and religion during the cold war. Nowhere in this compilation of the top ten weird facts about kurt vonnegut is the fact that he wrote all his weird books listed. He was a writer and actor, known for slaughterhousefive 1972, general electric theater 1953 and back to school 1986. Kurt vonnegut biography, quotes, works and writings. But he endured as a purveyor of mindwarping, surreal fiction that just so happened to be funny. Vonnegut dropped out of college to join the army during world war ii. Sparknotes is here for you weve got everything you need to ace or teach.
Born in indianapolis in 1922, he died in new york in 2007. Vonnegut attended cornell university from 1940 to 1942. Vonnegut based his masterpiece, slaughterhouse five, on his experience as a prisoner of war during the firebombing of dresden. A dutydance with death, and cats cradle, and more on. Born and raised in indianapolis, indiana, vonnegut attended cornell university but dropped out in january 1943 and enlisted in the united states army. This post is part of our kurt vonnegut reading day. He was married to jill krementz and jane marie cox. Over two decades later, in 1969, vonnegut published the bestselling novel slaughterhousefive, which gave. His writings have left a deep influence on the american literature of the 20th century. Kurt vonnegut books, ebooks, audiobooks, biography. Vonnegut created his own unusual world in the novels he wrote making them a blend of literature, science fiction and humor accompanied with absurd social commentary. November 11, 1922 indianapolis, indiana american writer, essayist, and dramatist.
They were prosperous, originally as brewers and merchants. Kurt vonnegut facts kurt vonnegut was an american writer best known for his books cats cradle and slaughterhousefive. In a career spanning over 50 years, vonnegut published fourteen novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of nonfiction, with further collections being published after his death. Kurt vonnegut biography life, children, story, death, wife, mother. Vonnegut emerged as a novelist and essayist in the 1960s, and penned the classics cats cradle, slaughterhousefive and. Kurt vonnegut is widely known for his special brand of postmodernism, science fiction, and humor particularly his irreverent, semiautobiographical novel slaughterhousefive, which earned him many accolades including a place in time magazines list of the 100 best english language novels written since 1923 while works like slaughterhousefive have. Kurt vonnegut biography life, children, story, death. The son and grandson of architects, kurt vonnegut, jr. Looking for books by kurt vonnegut jr see all books authored by kurt vonnegut jr. A short summary of kurt vonneguts harrison bergeron.
Kurt is often known for his sciencefiction writing. His writing career lasted over 50 years, publishing a total of 14 novels. In 2006, charles shields reached out to kurt vonnegut in a letter, asking for his endorsement for a planned biography. An american writer most distinctly known for his literarily work on the bestselling novel slaughterhousefive 1969. American author noted for his pessimistic and satirical novels. Kurt vonnegut was born on november 11, 1922, in indianapolis, indiana. Born in indianapolis, indiana in 1922, vonnegut met his future wife, jane, in kindergarten. Kurt had a younger sister alice and an older brother bernard.
Also a graphic artist, vonnegut illustrated some of his novels and stories. Kurt vonneguts letter grades for his own books mental floss. Next, he attended the university of chicago from 1945 to 1947. He often uses space travel and technology within his novels world book encyclopedia. Towards the end of his life, vonnegut focused on writing nonfiction works. Vonneguts vision of an america restructured by industrial technocrats whose.
Vonneguts most famous work was an iconic novel born. About kurt vonnegut kurt vonnegut museum and library. A washington post notable nonfiction book for 2011. We can make a difference by our responses to the big questions and issues of our time, and we can do it with civility. Not only did he craft geometric equations for the shapes of stories. Vonnegut was raised along with his sister, alice, and brother bernard whom he spoke of frequently in his works. His ancestors had come to america from germany in 1855. The absurdist, nonlinear work blends science fiction with historical facts, notably vonneguts own experience as a prisoner of war in dresden, germany, during the allied firebombing of that city in early 1945. Kurt vonnegut is actually a junior, his father, kurt vonnegut sr. Kurt vonnegut, american writer noted for his wryly satirical novels that. Kurt vonnegut wrote the kind of books that students in the 1960s bought to stoke their outrage and disdain.
Vonnegut was no doubt one the most dominant american novelists of his time. A married couple epitomize loss of fundamental humanity by. Kurt vonnegut is acknowledged as a major voice in american literature and applauded for his subtle criticisms and sharp portrayal of modern society early life. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of harrison bergeron. Outrage over the war in vietnam, disdain for their conformist, establishment parents. A brief biography kurt vonnegut museum and library. Kurt vonnegut biography cliffsnotes study guides book. The first authoritative biography of kurt vonnegut jr. Kurt vonnegut was an american writer best known for his books cats cradle and slaughterhousefive. On april 11, 2007, kurt vonnegut died at the age of 84 after getting head injuries due to falling at his home in new york a few weeks earlier. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the. The premise of the novel is that all of human history has been one big rube. A distinctive and influential voice of 20th century american literature, kurt vonnegut blended science fiction, satire, and social commentary in his novels and essays.
He was descended from german immigrants who settled in indiana in the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1971 kurt vonnegut was awarded a masters degree in anthropology for this book from the university of chicago. Why spike milligan fell out of love with george harrison, words of wisdom from kurt vonnegut and the murder threat jeffrey bernard forgot. Story but those have been available in book form since at. Best known as the eccentric author of slaughterhousefive and cats cradle, kurt vonnegut filled his novels, plays, and short stories with irreverence, satire, and. The vonneguts, a family of german descent, held beliefs of pacifism and atheism beliefs that figure prominently in vonneguts works. Ten interesting facts about kurt vonnegut, author of slaughterhousefive, whose writing was inspired by his experiences in world war ii. A brief biography of kurt vonnegut by william rodney allen. Kurt vonneguts literary legacy provides the building blocks upon which the kurt vonnegut museum and library kvml stands.