Download or read book Kurt Vonnegut and the Centrifugal Force of Fate written by Gary McMahon and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2009 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He was a Merlin among Men of Letters. Open any Kurt Vonnegut book and the words come to life in rapport with the reader like broomsticks enthralled by a book of spells. How did he do it? Through early drafts of projects like Breakfast of Champions, Slaughterhouse 5 and Harrison Bergeron, sensationally different from the published stories, Gary McMahon peers over the shoulder of a man without a country and an American institution. We get to see the original manuscripts and spend time with the complete works, from Player Piano to Armageddon in Retrospect, including a rare comparison of Vonnegut's journalism with peers like Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe.
Download or read book Behaving Decently written by Wayne Laufert and published by Humanist Press. This book was released on 2022-06-21 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kurt Vonnegut and humanism go hand in hand. In Behaving Decently: Kurt Vonnegut’s Humanism, Wayne Laufert examines how Vonnegut revealed his moral philosophy through the themes and characters in his work and through his public comments. Topic by topic, Vonnegut’s written and spoken views are explored, from his first novel, Player Piano (1952), through his antiwar masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), to the collections of his fiction and nonfiction that appear up till today, long after his death in 2007. His speeches, essays, interviews, and journalism, which support and expand upon the sentiments in his novels, receive proper consideration in this conversational overview of Vonnegut’s life and career. Religion, war, politics, science, art—these subjects and more are seen through Vonnegut’s perspective and are placed within a larger humanistic outlook. His most famous creation, the old science fiction writer Kilgore Trout, gets his own chapter too. Vonnegut called himself a “Christ-worshiping agnostic,” a term that Behaving Decently analyzes in the context of his upbringing as a freethinker, his wartime experience, his time in the corporate world, and other factors that formed his values. Those values are perhaps best expressed by his character Eliot Rosewater, the damaged, super-rich philanthropist: “God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” Vonnegut’s real and imagined selves were incorporated into Kurt Vonnegut the author, the public speaker, the interview subject, and even the character that appears in some of his books. After all, he wrote, “I myself am a work of fiction.” That funny, wise, sometimes depressed persona was humanistic. Behaving Decently shows the reader how Kurt Vonnegut reminded us to take small steps along hopeful paths to kindness and community and dignity and art—and farting around.
Download or read book Twentieth Century and Contemporary American Literature in Context 4 volumes written by Linda De Roche and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2021-06-04 with total page 1563 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This four-volume reference work surveys American literature from the early 20th century to the present day, featuring a diverse range of American works and authors and an expansive selection of primary source materials. Bringing useful and engaging material into the classroom, this four-volume set covers more than a century of American literary history—from 1900 to the present. Twentieth-Century and Contemporary American Literature in Context profiles authors and their works and provides overviews of literary movements and genres through which readers will understand the historical, cultural, and political contexts that have shaped American writing. Twentieth-Century and Contemporary American Literature in Context provides wide coverage of authors, works, genres, and movements that are emblematic of the diversity of modern America. Not only are major literary movements represented, such as the Beats, but this work also highlights the emergence and development of modern Native American literature, African American literature, and other representative groups that showcase the diversity of American letters. A rich selection of primary documents and background material provides indispensable information for student research.
Download or read book Pop Goes the Decade written by Martin Kich and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2020-01-07 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Analyzing complex social and political issues through their manifestations in popular culture, this book provides readers a strong foundational knowledge of the 1960s as a decade. 1969 went out in a way that could never have been imagined in 1960. While the president at the end of the decade had been vice president at the start, the intervening years permanently changed American culture. Pop Goes the Decade: The Sixties explores the cultural and social framework of the 1960s, addressing film, television, sports, technology, media/advertising, fashion, art, and more. Entries are presented in encyclopedic fashion, organized into such categories as controversies in pop culture, game changers, technology, and the decade's legacy. A timeline highlights significant cultural moments, while an introduction and a conclusion place those moments within the contexts of preceding and subsequent decades. Attention to the decade's most prominent influencers allows readers to understand the movements with which these figures are associated, and discussion of controversies and social change enables readers to gain a stronger understanding of evolving American social values.
Download or read book Lucky Mud Other Foma written by Christina Jarvis and published by Seven Stories Press. This book was released on 2022-11-22 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating deep dive into Kurt Vonnegut’s oeuvre and legacy, illuminating his unique perspective on environmental stewardship and our shared connections as humans, Earthlings, and stardust. Vonnegut’s major apocalyptic trio—Cat’s Cradle, Slapstick, and Galápagos—prompt broad global, national, and species-level thinking about environmental issues through dramatic and fantastic scenarios. This book, Lucky Mud and Other Foma, tells the story of the origins and legacy of what Kurt Vonnegut understood as “planetary citizenship” and explores key roots, influences, literary techniques, and artistic expressions of his interest in environmental activism through his writing. Vonnegut saw writing itself as an act of good citizenship, as a way of “poisoning” the minds of young people “with humanity . . . to encourage them to make a better world.” Often that literary activism meant addressing real social and environmental problems—polluted water, soil, and air; racial and economic injustice; isolating and dehumanizing technologies; and lives and landscapes desolated by war. Vonnegut’s remedies took many forms, from the redemptive power of the arts to artificial extended families to vital communities and engaged democracies. Reminding us of our shared connections as humans, as Earthlings, as stardust, Lucky Mud helps fans, scholars, and book lovers of all kinds experience how Vonnegut’s writings purposely challenge readers to think, create, and love.
Download or read book Fates Worse Than Death written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FATES WORSE THAN DEATH is Kurt Vonnegut's second volume of autobiographical writings, subtitled "A College of the 1980's", covering such diverse subjects as death in the family, suicidal depression, the future of the planet, Ronald Reagan, Salman Rushdie and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Download or read book Fates Worse Than Death written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FATES WORSE THAN DEATH is Kurt Vonnegut's second volume of autobio-graphical writings, subtitled "A College of the 1980's", covering such diverse subjects as death in the family, suicidal depression, the future of the planet, Ronal Reagan, Salman Rushdie and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Download or read book Kurt Vonnegut Jr written by Charles W. Bridges and published by . This book was released on 1973 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book 2BR02B written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Namaskar Book. This book was released on 2024-02-02 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prepare to be transported to a dystopian future filled with thought-provoking ideas and moral dilemmas in "2BR02B," a science fiction short story by Kurt Vonnegut. In this captivating narrative, Vonnegut explores the ethical implications of a world where immortality comes at a steep price. As you delve into the chilling reality of a society where population control is enforced through extreme measures, be prepared to confront questions of life, death, and the value of human existence. Vonnegut's poignant prose and sharp wit shine a light on the darkest corners of human nature. But here's the question that lingers in the shadows: What if the pursuit of immortality leads to the loss of humanity itself? Could Vonnegut's cautionary tale serve as a mirror reflecting the consequences of unchecked technological advancement and societal obsession with longevity? Engage with Vonnegut's thought-provoking narrative as he challenges readers to reconsider the meaning of life and the ethics of immortality. Through his vivid characters and compelling storyline, Vonnegut invites us to ponder the moral complexities of a future where death is a choice. Are you ready to confront the ethical dilemmas of a world where life and death hang in the balance? Immerse yourself in the chilling world of "2BR02B," where the boundaries between life and death blur, and the consequences of technological progress are laid bare. Let Vonnegut's powerful storytelling provoke thought and inspire reflection on the nature of existence. Here's your invitation to explore the provocative ideas of Kurt Vonnegut's "2BR02B." Will you accept the challenge and venture into this gripping science fiction tale? Don't miss out on the opportunity to experience this thought-provoking short story. Purchase your copy of "2BR02B" by Kurt Vonnegut now, and let the haunting narrative captivate your imagination and leave you pondering long after you turn the final page.
Download or read book Armageddon in Retrospect written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-04-01 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times bestseller from the author of Slaughterhouse-Five—a “gripping” posthumous collection of Kurt Vonnegut’s previously unpublished work on the subject of war and peace. A fitting tribute to a literary legend and a profoundly humane humorist, Armageddon in Retrospect is a collection of twelve previously unpublished writings. Imbued with Vonnegut's trademark rueful humor and outraged moral sense, the pieces range from a letter written by Vonnegut to his family in 1945, informing them that he'd been taken prisoner by the Germans, to his last speech, delivered after his death by his son Mark, who provides a warmly personal introduction to the collection. Taken together, these pieces provide fresh insight into Vonnegut's enduring literary genius and reinforce his ongoing moral relevance in today’s world. Includes an Introduction by Mark Vonnegut
Download or read book 2br02b written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. and published by HarperCollins Canada. This book was released on 2014-04-08 with total page 17 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Through the progress of science, human lifespans have been extended indefinitely, leading the government to enact strict rules to keep the earth’s population under control. So when Edward K. Wehling, Jr. finds out that he and his wife are expecting triplets, he has to find a way to meet the nearly impossible birth requirements for each of his three unborn children. “2 B R 0 2 B,” pronounced “to be or not to be,” is an intentional reference to the famous line in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The short story was originally published in the Worlds of IF Science Fiction magazine and is referenced by author Kurt Vonnegut in his later novel, God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.
Download or read book 2 B R 0 2 B written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Prabhat Prakashan. This book was released on 2021-01-01 with total page 11 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2 B R 0 2 B' is a short story by renowned science fiction writer Kurt Vonnegut. The title is pronounced as "2 B R naught 2 B", referencing to the famous phrase "to be, or not to be" from William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. In this story, the title refers to the telephone number one dials to schedule an assisted suicide with the Federal Bureau of Termination. The setting is a society in which aging has been cured, individuals have indefinite lifespans, and population control is used to limit the population of the United States to forty million. This is maintained through a combination of infanticide and government-assisted suicide. In short, in order for someone to be born, someone must first volunteer to die. As a result, births are few and far between, and deaths occur primarily by accident.
Download or read book The Sirens of Titan written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Dial Press Trade Paperback. This book was released on 1998-09-08 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[Kurt Vonnegut’s] best book . . . He dares not only ask the ultimate question about the meaning of life, but to answer it.”—Esquire Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a space journey to distant worlds with a beautiful woman at his side. Of course there’ s a catch to the invitation–and a prophetic vision about the purpose of human life that only Vonnegut has the courage to tell. “Reading Vonnegut is addictive!”—Commonweal
Download or read book Slaughterhouse Five written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Xs Books. This book was released on 1980 with total page 862 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of stories by Kurt Vonnegut.
Download or read book 2 B R 0 2 B Large Print written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2013-06-24 with total page 26 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Everything was perfectly swell. There were no prisons, no slums, no insane asylums, no cripples, no poverty, no wars. All diseases were conquered. So was old age. Death, barring accidents, was an adventure for volunteers. The population of the United States was stabilized at forty-million souls. One bright morning in the Chicago Lying-in Hospital, a man named Edward K. Wehling, Jr., waited for his wife to give birth. He was the only man waiting. Not many people were born a day any more.
Download or read book Hocus Pocus written by Kurt Vonnegut and published by Arrow. This book was released on 1991 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is the year 2001, and Eugene Dabbs Hartke, suffering from TB, is recording his disastrous life on scraps of paper while awaiting trial for a crime he hasn't committed. This humorous novel is set in a Japanese-owned America, where everything is run for profit. By the author of Slaughterhouse 5 .
Download or read book The World According to Kurt Vonnegut written by Bo Pettersson and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
