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Dan Naylor's avatar

Kurt Vonnegut helped shape me into the human I am today (and still strive to be). My uncle had a hardcopy of Breakfast of Champions but never read it. I borrowed it and when I saw that a famous author had illustrated his novel with a childish rendition of an asshole done in magic marker, I was hooked.

A friend of mine recommended Slaughterhouse Five, The Sirens of Titan, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, the excellent short story collection Welcome to the Monkey House, and what I consider his tour-de-force, Cat's Cradle. On the surface, science fiction, but underneath, passionate and snarky treatises on what it means to be human. Just like his alter-ego, Kilgore Trout. When I write stories, I try to emulate his simple, elegant language, his brevity, his jarring insights, his gentle righteousness.

Okay, two quick Vonnegut stories. I was attending a writer's conference at the University of Iowa in 2015 and was downing a couple of Rob Roys at a divey bar called the Dublin Underground when the bartender told us that Vonnegut liked to take his students there for a drink, and one night got overserved and barfed on the pool table, which is still there. I felt in the presence of greatness.

In 1990, I attended a live Kurt presentation at Harper Community College, which is only a couple miles from where I live. He presented his "create art, even if it's silly or awkward, for there is no higher calling" admonition and also left us with some sound fiction writing advice. My kindly literary uncle.

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Jay Swartz's avatar

He was so popular when I was in college. People used to run around quoting him like he was the pope or something. I admit, this is hole in my reading life. Other than a few short pieces and watching the film of Slaughterhouse 5, I haven't read much of him. He's the kind of writer you can really admire even if you've never read him, though. Like he really put his money where his mouth is, you know? I was really into Harlan Ellison, who I feel also fits your description of intelligent, masculine, impossible. I suspect that once history has it's say, besides such obvious candidates as Stephen King and Salman Rushdie, guys like Vonnegut and Ellison and Phil Dick will be the definers of 20th Century writing. What do you think?

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