Comments on: Kurt Vonnegut passes away at 84. http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:38:29 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: InTheseTimes http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3701503 InTheseTimes Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:26:10 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3701503 Vonnegut, who passed away April 11, 2007, was a Senior Editor and long-time contributor to In These Times. “Without In These Times, I would be a man without a country,” Vonnegut often said of the national monthly news magazine that has featured investigative reporting about corporate malfeasance and government wrongdoing, insightful analysis of national and international affairs, and cultural criticism about events and ideas that matter. “Kurt was first and foremost my friend,” remembers In These Times editor, Joel Bleifuss. “But he also wasn’t afraid to speak out against man’s inhumanity to man. He never suffered fools lightly and was particularly concerned about the direction the U.S. is heading under the current administration.” Vonnegut and Bleifuss collaborated on articles for In These Times, many of which were compiled in Man Without a Country, Vonnegut’s last book. A collection of articles by Kurt Vonnegut can be accessed at www.inthesetimes.com/archives/vonnegut/. Vonnegut also faxed word art to In These Times, often bemoaning the Bush administration and the overall state of affairs. “When we ponder various people going about their business, we assume they have nervous systems,” read one. “But George W. Bush doesn’t have one. What a time to be alive!” Vonnegut also briefly authored an advice column for In These Times called “Dear Mr. Vonnegut.” “I have not so much a comment or a question for you, but rather a request: Please tell me it will all be OK,” wrote one reader. Vonnegut’s response? “Welcome to Earth, young man. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, Joe, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of: Goddamn it, Joe, you’ve got to be kind!” “He was a great supporter of In These Times, and we benefited from both his sharp wit and the moral compass that guided his work,” says Bleifuss. “I will miss his unassailable political integrity and the wisdom that he brought to our pages.” Vonnegut, who passed away April 11, 2007, was a Senior
Editor and long-time contributor to In These Times.
“Without In These Times, I would be a man without a
country,” Vonnegut often said of the national monthly
news magazine that has featured investigative
reporting about corporate malfeasance and government
wrongdoing, insightful analysis of national and
international affairs, and cultural criticism about
events and ideas that matter. “Kurt was first and
foremost my friend,” remembers In These Times editor,
Joel Bleifuss. “But he also wasn’t afraid to speak
out against man’s inhumanity to man. He never suffered
fools lightly and was particularly concerned about the
direction the U.S. is heading under the current
administration.” Vonnegut and Bleifuss collaborated
on articles for In These Times, many of which were
compiled in Man Without a Country, Vonnegut’s last
book. A collection of articles by Kurt Vonnegut can
be accessed at
http://www.inthesetimes.com/archives/vonnegut/. Vonnegut
also faxed word art to In These Times, often bemoaning
the Bush administration and the overall state of
affairs. “When we ponder various people going about
their business, we assume they have nervous systems,”
read one. “But George W. Bush doesn’t have one. What a
time to be alive!” Vonnegut also briefly authored an
advice column for In These Times called “Dear Mr.
Vonnegut.” “I have not so much a comment or a
question for you, but rather a request: Please tell me
it will all be OK,” wrote one reader. Vonnegut’s
response? “Welcome to Earth, young man. It’s hot in
the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet
and crowded. At the outside, Joe, you’ve got about a
hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know
of: Goddamn it, Joe, you’ve got to be kind!” “He was
a great supporter of In These Times, and we benefited
from both his sharp wit and the moral compass that
guided his work,” says Bleifuss. “I will miss his
unassailable political integrity and the wisdom that
he brought to our pages.”

]]> By: Jason Baddo http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3690636 Jason Baddo Fri, 13 Apr 2007 02:49:37 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3690636 <em>I myself feel that our country, for whose Constitution I fought in a just war, might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers. Sometimes I wish it had been. What has happened, though, is that it has been taken over by means of the sleaziest, low-comedy, Keystone Cops-style coup d’etat imaginable. And those now in charge of the federal government are upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography, plus not-so-closeted white supremacists, aka “Christians,” and plus, most frighteningly, psychopathic personalities, or “PPs.”</em> Thats a requiem for us all. Americans should be ashamed of what they have allowed to happen to their dimming country. I myself feel that our country, for whose Constitution I fought in a just war, might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers. Sometimes I wish it had been. What has happened, though, is that it has been taken over by means of the sleaziest, low-comedy, Keystone Cops-style coup d’etat imaginable. And those now in charge of the federal government are upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography, plus not-so-closeted white supremacists, aka “Christians,” and plus, most frighteningly, psychopathic personalities, or “PPs.”

Thats a requiem for us all. Americans should be ashamed of what they have allowed to happen to their dimming country.

]]> By: dbadass http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3682499 dbadass Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:04:26 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3682499 Someone Sometime to sometime He tried Someone
Sometime to sometime
He tried

]]> By: Pete Bogs http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3679332 Pete Bogs Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:09:51 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3679332 If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you’re a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind. - Kurt Vonnegut In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. - Tom Waits so is the fellow Waits was talking about someone who did things half-assed? farewell, Mr. V... I hope you enjoy eternity in Tralfamador with your dog and and a half-nude Valerie Perrine... If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you’re a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind. – Kurt Vonnegut

In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king. – Tom Waits

so is the fellow Waits was talking about someone who did things half-assed?

farewell, Mr. V… I hope you enjoy eternity in Tralfamador with your dog and and a half-nude Valerie Perrine…

]]> By: johnq http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3678232 johnq Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:28:52 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3678232 Now mud lies down again and goes to sleep. What memories for mud to have! What interesting other kinds of sitting-up mud I met! I loved everything I saw! Good night. I will go to heaven now. I can hardly wait... To find out for certain what my wampeter was... And who was in my karass... And all the good things our karass did for you. Amen. Now mud lies down again and goes to sleep. What memories for mud to have! What interesting other kinds of sitting-up mud I met! I loved everything I saw! Good night. I will go to heaven now. I can hardly wait… To find out for certain what my wampeter was… And who was in my karass… And all the good things our karass did for you. Amen.

]]> By: Fed the fcuk up! http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3678056 Fed the fcuk up! Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:46:19 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3678056 Goodbye sir. Send letters if possible. Goodbye sir. Send letters if possible.

]]> By: Karim http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3678045 Karim Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:43:33 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3678045 We lost one of the truly original American wits. We lost one of the truly original American wits.

]]> By: Vikki Holford http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-2/#comment-3677729 Vikki Holford Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:46:14 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677729 Welcome tp the Monkey House and so many pithy observations on life on this and other planets. Condolences to your extended family. You have been with me since I was 14, as an eagerly anticipated commentator of the absurdities that humans can stoop to, providing hope that those same absurd humans will eventually learn something if the absurd is pointed out, as you did in such a kind way. My husband and I were quite drunk and brave one Xmas and determined to ring Kurt Vonnegut. We did, the very kind operator in U.S. said you do realise it is 4.00am. We suddenly became embarrassed, hah, who did we think we were. On the other hand we probably missed out on a ripper conversation. I do hope that all condolences are passed onto his family, he was such a lovely man Welcome tp the Monkey House and so many pithy observations on life on this and other planets. Condolences to your extended family. You have been with me since I was 14, as an eagerly anticipated commentator of the absurdities that humans can stoop to, providing hope that those same absurd humans will eventually learn something if the absurd is pointed out, as you did in such a kind way. My husband and I were quite drunk and brave one Xmas and determined to ring Kurt Vonnegut. We did, the very kind operator in U.S. said you do realise it is 4.00am. We suddenly became embarrassed, hah, who did we think we were. On the other hand we probably missed out on a ripper conversation.
I do hope that all condolences are passed onto his family, he was such a lovely man

]]> By: Dear Kitty. Some blog :: US novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies :: April :: 2007 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677688 Dear Kitty. Some blog :: US novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies :: April :: 2007 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:33:37 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677688 [...] on the Bush administration: here. Comments [...] [...] on the Bush administration: here. Comments [...]

]]> By: Raven http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677671 Raven Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:28:15 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677671 Farewell, and an inspiring sojourn through the stars for you. Will look forward to hearing all about it when you return. I'm hoping to be in the Galapagos by then, see ya! Farewell, and an inspiring sojourn through the stars for you.
Will look forward to hearing all about it when you return.
I’m hoping to be in the Galapagos by then, see ya!

]]> By: Kurt Vonnegut, a real contribution. « Douglass Carmichael GardenWorld Politics http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677612 Kurt Vonnegut, a real contribution. « Douglass Carmichael GardenWorld Politics Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:05:05 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677612 [...] April 12th, 2007   Kurt Vonnegut passes away at 84. [...] [...] April 12th, 2007   Kurt Vonnegut passes away at 84. [...]

]]> By: Kilgore Trout http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677585 Kilgore Trout Thu, 12 Apr 2007 14:02:58 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677585 Kurt was my favorite living author. Now I guess he is my favorite dead author. But then again he could be just living in a glass dome on the planet Tralfamadore. So it goes. Kurt was my favorite living author. Now I guess he is my favorite dead author. But then again he could be just living in a glass dome on the planet Tralfamadore. So it goes.

]]> By: Anacher Forester http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677479 Anacher Forester Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:44:30 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677479 If I were an editor of Think Progress (Ha!), I would have picked "Breakfast of Champions" for a mention over "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater" and possibly before "Cat's Cradle." Only a Republican forget a memorable quote as: <strong>1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.</strong> Juxtaposed with: <blockquote> He had a penis eight hundred miles long and two hundred and ten miles in diameter, but practically all of it was in the fourth dimension.</blockquote> AF <em> Malkin and her ilk have grown both fat and crafty suckling at the teat of Rove.</em> If I were an editor of Think Progress (Ha!), I would have picked “Breakfast of Champions” for a mention over “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” and possibly before “Cat’s Cradle.”

Only a Republican forget a memorable quote as:
1492. As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.

Juxtaposed with:

He had a penis eight hundred miles long and two hundred and ten miles in diameter, but practically all of it was in the fourth dimension.

AF

Malkin and her ilk have grown both fat and crafty suckling at the teat of Rove.

]]> By: Mugsy http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677456 Mugsy Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:36:42 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677456 <strong>Anyone else ever read "Tom Edison's Shaggy Dog"?</strong> . Anyone else ever read “Tom Edison’s Shaggy Dog”?
.

]]> By: Zooey http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677442 Zooey Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:33:12 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677442 <strong>I myself feel that our country, for whose Constitution I fought in a just war, might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers. Sometimes I wish it had been. --KV</strong> Perfect analogy, Mr Vonnegut. I'm tired of walking around thinking, "What the hell happened to us?" I myself feel that our country, for whose Constitution I fought in a just war, might as well have been invaded by Martians and body snatchers. Sometimes I wish it had been.
–KV

Perfect analogy, Mr Vonnegut.

I’m tired of walking around thinking, “What the hell happened to us?”

]]> By: hacker bob http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3677204 hacker bob Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:55:30 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3677204 Goodnight, Kurt "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be. " -K.V. Comment by Jay Randal — April 12, 2007 @ 12:36 am Agreed, "Catch 22" is a great book, but it is not about American POWs during WWII. It is about American pilots in Italy in WWII. Goodnight, Kurt

“We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be. ”
-K.V.

Comment by Jay Randal — April 12, 2007 @ 12:36 am

Agreed, “Catch 22″ is a great book, but it is not about American POWs during WWII. It is about American pilots in Italy in WWII.

]]> By: GodfryDaniel http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3676176 GodfryDaniel Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:21:57 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3676176 May he be forever infundibulated. May he be forever infundibulated.

]]> By: Anderson http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3676159 Anderson Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:13:36 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3676159 Onward, and in peace, Kurt. Onward, and in peace, Kurt.

]]> By: TripMaster Monkey http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3675821 TripMaster Monkey Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:17:24 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3675821 <blockquote><strong><em>In Pace Requisat.</em></strong>, Kurt.</blockquote>

In Pace Requisat., Kurt.

]]> By: malyan http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/comment-page-1/#comment-3675817 malyan Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:10:24 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/11/kurt-vonnegut-passes-away-at-84/#comment-3675817 i just really felt that i had to put my thoughts down to mark kurt vonneguts death and this page was top of my google search for condolences. no other author has had the impact upon my life that Kurt Vonnegut has. No other man that I have never met has influenced me and my outlook on things. Timequake in particular somehow manages to present an absolutely real, unguarded eyes wide open critique of humanity whislt infusing every sentence with a joy for life and an optimism. we're all richer people for having had Kurt Vonnegut on the same planet. goodnight Kurt i just really felt that i had to put my thoughts down to mark kurt vonneguts death and this page was top of my google search for condolences.
no other author has had the impact upon my life that Kurt Vonnegut has. No other man that I have never met has influenced me and my outlook on things.
Timequake in particular somehow manages to present an absolutely real, unguarded eyes wide open critique of humanity whislt infusing every sentence with a joy for life and an optimism. we’re all richer people for having had Kurt Vonnegut on the same planet.
goodnight Kurt

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