Kurt Vonnegut, Dead

America has just lost a national treasure....

I just read that Kurt Vonnegut, an author I love and respect, just passed away.

Vonnegut's writings were always relevant to me, addressing the big issues we face today. With a wry humor akin of HL Mencken and Mark Twain, he commented on the absurdities of our society, its great triumphs, and its deplorable vices.

He was a humanist, honorary president of the American Humanists Association (AHA), succeeding Isaac Asimov for the title. vonnegut once said of the humanist

"being a Humanist means trying to behave decently without expectation of rewards or punishment after you are dead."

When Vonnegut spoke to the AHA after Asimov's death, Vonnegut recollected in his book "A Man without a country"

We had a memorial service for Isaac a few years back, and I spoke and said at one point, "Isaac is up in heaven now." It was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. And if I should ever die, God forbid, I hope you will say, "Kurt is up in heaven now." That's my favorite joke.


So, please join me and take a moment to say, "Kurt is up in heaven now."

Wikipedia - more on Kurt Vonnegut

my previous blogs on Kurt Vonnegut...
Vonnegut tells it like it is
More from Kurt Vonnegut
See the cat? See the cradle?