Remembering Kurt Vonnegut, Jr
When I met Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. in 1988, he appeared as a wild-haired curmudgeon in a crumpled suit sprawled out in a wing-backed chair in a small meeting room at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The lines on his face made him look as tired and worn as his clothing, but his eyes twinkled like a child's.
When I met Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. in 1988, he appeared as a wild-haired curmudgeon in a crumpled suit sprawled out in a wing-backed chair in a small meeting room at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. The lines on his face made him look as tired and worn as his clothing, but his eyes twinkled like a child’s.
This was the small, unofficial press conference before his speech as the special guest at the College’s annual lecture series – unofficial because Vonnegut had requested that only student journalists attend. He didn’t want controversy or confrontation from professional reporters, just innocuous questions from young writing students.
The author of “Breakfast of Champions,” “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Cat’s Cradle,” and “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater,” Vonnegut had long been one of my literary heroes. Several of his novels had achieved huge success and gone on to become major motion pictures.
As a film buff and recent journalism school graduate, I managed to get an invitation to the event. Still, my magazine editor advised: “Dress young and don’t ask too many questions.” So along with a handful of other “students,” I met the best-selling novelist, playwright, and essayist at a cozy little meeting away from news cameras and flashing photographer’s lights. While I was yearning to bombard him with questions about the style and substance of his work, I had to politely wait my turn and limit my queries to two.
Vonnegut fielded questions about his motivation.
“I got married and had kids,” he said.
About his inspiration.
“I work the New York Times crossword puzzle each morning to get the words flowing through my mind.”
And about his craft.
“No matter how broke you are, or how much money someone will pay you for a certain sort of story, you can’t deliver the material if it doesn’t come from your heart.”
When it was finally my turn to ask questions, I mentioned his cameo appearance in the 1986 film “Back to School” starring Rodney Dangerfield, and then asked about adapting books into movies. With some interest, he answered that the problem with translating most books into movies is the elimination of one very important character: the author.
“All my characters have my built-in prejudices because there’s no way to keep them out of the story. On the other hand, a movie should just be about itself and nothing else.”
My second question dealt with the development of a writer’s style, something for which Vonnegut was simultaneously praised and criticized. Finally his twinkling eyes lit up a little, and he moved toward the edge of his chair. I also scooted closer, eager to hear what he had to say.
“A writer’s style is like being a kind of flower and that’s how you bloom. Some people will appreciate the flower’s beauty, while others will mistake you for a weed. As a writer, you don’t have any control over the way you’re going to bloom.”
Despite his recent death, Vonnegut’s many literary works and film adaptations immortalize his fascinating characters and unusual insights, and his inspiring lectures at colleges across the country inspired new generations of writers to bloom in their own unique ways.
God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut.
For movie reviews and more celebrity information, visit: Leslie Halpern. Central Florida entertainment writer Leslie Halpern wrote the books Reel Romance. The Lovers’ Guide to the 100 Best Date Movies (Taylor Trade Publishing), which reviews date movies and suggests romantic ideas inspired by these films, and Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science (McFarland & Company), an analysis of representations of sleeping and dreaming in more than 125 movies. Both books are available at www.Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
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