Goodbye, Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut has died, and the most fitting tribute I could think of was to watch my old video copy of Rodney Dangerfield's "Back to School." Vonnegut plays himself in the movie; it's just a tiny part, but it's classic: Dangerfield's character hires Vonnegut to write a book report... on Kurt Vonnegut. The report gets an F. They cuss each other out over the phone. Hilarity and hijinks!

So it goes, so it goes, so it goes. I imagine playing that part was a nice moment in Vonnegut's life, one in which he could poke fun at himself and his improbable life as a revered writer. He was my favorite way back when, and still is one of my favorites. I remember defending him to a friend who claimed he was a hack... but no. He wrote in a style that was similar to the style of children's books, but he used that to illustrate the technological highs and human lows of our lives. My bookshelf still proudly displays all his books. Naturally, he was an influence on me, both as a writer and for his insights into life. There never was anyone like him. I hope he'll be remembered as one of the best.