I was texting with jonaswildman tonight about reading/fiction and he sent me the below image of a letter Kurt Vonnegut sent to a classroom. Thought it was worth sharing:
Transcript
- November 5, 2006
Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer and Congiusta:
I thank you for your friendly letters. You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. I don't make public appearances any more because I now resemble nothing so much as an iguana.
What I had to say to you, moreover, would not take long, to wit: Practice any art, music, singing, dancing, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage, no matter how well or badly, not to get money and fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what's inside you, to make your soul grow.
Seriously! I mean starting right now, do art and do it for the rest of your lives. Draw a funny or nice picture of Ms. Lockwood, and give it to her. Dance home after school, and sing in the shower and on and on. Make a face in your mashed potatoes. Pretend you're Count Dracula.
Here's an assignment for tonight, and I hope Ms. Lockwood will flunk you if you don't do it: Write a six line poem, about anything, but rhymed. No fair tennis without a net. Make it as good as you possibly can. But don't tell anybody what you're doing. Don't show it or recite it to anybody, not even your girlfriend or parents or whatever, or Ms. Lockwood. OK?
Tear it up into teeny-weeny pieces, and discard them into widely separated trash recepticals. You will find that you have already been gloriously rewarded for your poem. You have experienced becoming, learned a lot more about what's inside you, and you have made your soul grow.
God bless you all!
Kurt Vonnegut
Very timely for me as I'm right in the middle of Cat's Cradle. I also have Slaughterhouse 5 waiting at home for whenever I finish this one. That's quite an inspiring letter. Thanks for sharing! :) EDIT: I just remembered I was going to make a post out of a quote from Cat's Cradle, to see what other people thought of it. Maybe if there's any interest here I'll make it. The quote is from the page before the contents section: For anyone unaware/wondering - Bokonon is a fictional religion from Cat's Cradle. Basically what I'm wondering is how you all feel philosophically about the quote "Live by the harmless untruths that make you brave and kind and happy and healthy.""Live by the foma* that make you brave and kind and healthy and happy." - The Books of Bokonon. I: 5
* Harmless untruths
Slaughterhouse five is a wonderful book and in my opinion is Vonnegut at his best. The first one I ever read was "Breakfast of Champions," when I was on my way out to college for the first time. It has been long enough that I should probably reread that one. Enjoy your vomit get journey! -I kept the auto correct in there because it was worth a good laugh.
Ah good for you! Those books are two of my all-time favorites. Cat's Cradle especially. If you enjoy them, I'd also recommend Sirens of Titan and Breakfast of Champions.
I didn't read any Vonnegut in high school, which is where many of my friends were introduced to him, but this year I read "Cats Cradle" and "Player Piano". I think the best thing about Vonnegut's writing is that he is terse and gets to the point. He uses poetry with his words, but he doesn't overdo it. It's very refreshing. Vonnegut just seems like he was a down to Earth guy.
I agree, he does seem down to earth. One of my favorite quotes from him: "There are plenty of good reasons for fighting, but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty Himself hates with you, too."
-more people should recognize this.
I like how you put that. His style resonates strongly with me. It is very unpretentious, simple, and succinct, without sacrificing meaning or a sense of profound insight.He uses poetry with his words, but he doesn't overdo it.