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Friday, February 26, 2010

"...one time, while I was writing, I happened to sniff my armpits absentmindedly."

Posted by on Fri, Feb 26, 2010 at 12:38 PM

The Paris Review has posted a hilarous, informative interview with Kurt Vonnegut. Here's a tiny portion:

INTERVIEWER

What is a twerp in the strictest sense, in the original sense?

VONNEGUT

It's a person who inserts a set of false teeth between the cheeks of his ass.

INTERVIEWER

I see.

VONNEGUT

I beg your pardon; between the cheeks of his or her ass. I'm always offending feminists that way.

INTERVIEWER

I don't quite understand why someone would do that with false teeth.

VONNEGUT

In order to bite the buttons off the backseats of taxicabs. That's the only reason twerps do it. It's all that turns them on.

INTERVIEWER

You went to Cornell University after Shortridge?

VONNEGUT

I imagine.

INTERVIEWER

You imagine?

VONNEGUT

I had a friend who was a heavy drinker. If somebody asked him if he'd been drunk the night before, he would always answer offhandedly, Oh, I imagine. I've always liked that answer. It acknowledges life as a dream.

 

Comments (7) RSS

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gnr8r 1
Ha! You'd think the interviewer had never read any of his work or even known who Vonnegut is.
Posted by gnr8r http://www.plutosrevenge.blogspot.com on February 26, 2010 at 1:35 PM
2
"I propose that every person out of work be required to submit a book report before he or she gets his or her welfare check." K.V.

Why did we never put this man in charge?
Posted by dwight moody on February 26, 2010 at 1:56 PM
furburger 3
@1 if you follow the link you will see "what follows can be considered an interview conducted with himself, by himself." You think he has ever read any of his own work? Probably not.
Posted by furburger on February 26, 2010 at 1:58 PM
Rotten666 4
Love.
Posted by Rotten666 on February 26, 2010 at 2:00 PM
5
That was delightful.
Posted by Another Andrew on February 26, 2010 at 2:03 PM
Dee 6
"It's my religion the censors hate. They find me disrespectful toward their idea of God Almighty. They think it's the proper business of government to protect the reputation of God. All I can say is, good luck to them, and good luck to the government, and good luck to God."

Ah, so good. Thanks for the post - Vonnegut is probably my favorite author.

Posted by Dee on February 26, 2010 at 2:18 PM
7
"...and the sky is black with flying saucers." THANK YOU! I can't stop laughing.
Posted by Amelia on February 26, 2010 at 11:38 PM

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