Cultural satirist and novelist Kurt Vonnegut died today. He was 84. Vonnegut suffered brain injuries from a fall in his Manhattan apartment a few weeks ago and he had been hospitalized ever since. He meant everything to many, many people.
Vonnegut wrote more than a few cannon-worthy books, including “Breakfast of Champions” and “Slaughterhouse-Five;” he also ruled enough to disown his daughter after she married television hack Geraldo Riveria. He was bad-ass in every sense.
Not many of his film adaptations were good. “Slaughterhouse” was solid, but Bruce Willis nearly brought the author to an early death with his turn as Dwayne Hoover in the incomparably bad “Breakfast of Champions.” As one colleague reminds us, he did make a cameo appearance as himself in Rodney Dangerfield’s “Back To School.”
No matter how corrupt, greedy, and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful.
If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC
Download: Dennis Wilson “Farewell My Friend” (mp3)
Download: Quickspace “Goodbye Precious Mountain” (mp3)
Download: Elvis Costello & The Attractions “Man Out Of Time” (via Idolator) (mp3)
More: Vonnegut Wiki quotes.
Friends and Neighbours: Joseph Heller (Catch 22) interviews Vonnegut.