Arts Still Making Up Her Mind
posted by on May 19 at 9:43 AM
Since his death last month, lots of people have been reminiscing about reading Kurt Vonnegut back in high school.
I read him back then too and liked it fine, but it didn’t last for me like it has with a lot of smart people I know.
I came across this blog post and this one from an actual real live high schooler talking about reading Kurt Vonnegut in the here and now.
Freed from the effects of distance (and in the context of the current Vonnegut lovefest), it was nice to hear this teenager’s candor. She doesn’t dislike it (she seems to like it, actually) but rather than being definitive, she seems measured—still making up her mind about it. Kind of refreshing.
Remaining objective about Vonnegut is cool but if that little bitch says one thing about Borat then she's just plain stupid.
I wanted to like Von. when I was in high school way way back when it was cool, but was really too cynical and thought he was "too cutsy". But I just reread Slaughter-House Five and found that I was more open trooping along with him. I really enjoyed it, perhaps because I'm less invested in or self-satisfied about my cynicism.
I loved Vonnegut in 1985, at age 16. I love Vonnegut now, at age 38.
But then I'm not universally loved on The Slog -- some prominent Slog posters refer to the elenchos persona as an "asshole."
So it goes.
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