Kurt Vonnegut, one of our greatest American writers, died this week at the age of 84. I haven’t read a lot of Vonnegut, but what I have read, I’ve enjoyed. Like many authors I admire, I’ve always wanted to have the time to go through and read everything he wrote. Though the man may be gone, his books are still out there and hopefully someday I will read them. And they will be new and interesting and thoughtful and entertaining and relevant to the times.
I don’t know what else to say in tribute that hasn’t already been said better. (For a good example, check out Foma*.) However, I will do something that is against my usual grain and post a song. This is one of my favorite Al Stewart tunes, “Sirens Of Titan” [MP3 link removed] (based on a Vonnegut book I have actually read). It’s from the album Modern Times, which is about to be reissued on CD on June 26th.
Fare thee well, Mr. Vonnegut. You will be missed.
[MP3 link removed. It was up here long enough.] (lyrics are here)
Latre.
3 responses so far ↓
1 yellojkt // Apr 15, 2007 at 10:25 am
Thanks for the song. I don’t have any Al Stewart albums so it was good to hear that again. Joe Satriani also has a song called “Ice Nine” which is an instrumental, but obviously a KV tribute.
2 Jestaplero // Apr 15, 2007 at 10:46 am
I have read almost every novel Vonnegut wrote. Well worth it.
3 InfK // Apr 18, 2007 at 1:38 am
Apropos of nothing, but is Stephen Colbert the Greatest Living American?
http://www.measurement.com/Reality/stephen-colbert-google-bombing