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MY TOO BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH KURT VONNEGUT

I was deeply saddened when I heard that Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had passed away. He has been a favorite of mine since I discovered "Cat's Cradle" in 1968.

I admire his economical use of the English language. Many of the chapters in his novels are only a paragraph or even one sentence long yet still perfectly bridge the previous and following chapters logically and succinctly. He had an amazing ability to get straight to the point with his biting wit. His many volumed satire on American life and America's values will be read for a long time.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr.Vonnegut in 1982. I had just come from a shop where I had purchased a violin and was standing with a friend on a line to buy tickets for an off-Broadway play. The man behind me in line asked if I was a fiddler. I turned, and was about to say, "I play a little fiddle," and there he stood.

For a full three seconds I was speechless. When one lives in New York City, "spotting" a celebrity is a common experience. I have never been a "celebrity hound" and have always respected the famous person's need for space and privacy. But this was no ordinary celebrity. This was the man who had been speaking to me through his novels for fourteen years. "Kurt Vonnegut?" I said nervously as I extended my hand. "I confess. that's me," he said and extended his. We shook. I instantly relaxed. I knew that I was in the presence of a good and honest man.

There were so many questions I would have asked him, but the ticket line began to move. I did manage to ask him which one of his novels was his favorite. Instantly, he replied. "The Sirens of Titan." I've always thought that that was what life should be like."

I said I loved the way that his characters appear in more than just one book and how his world is populated with familiar faces and names, especially one Killgore Trout, the science fiction novelist who pops up in many of Mr. Vonnegut's books. "Your alter ego?" I asked. He laughed. "Maybe," he said.

My friend and I were next at the ticket window. The wonderful meeting was about to end. I again shook his hand and thanked him. His last words to me as my friend and I were turning to leave were, "Which one of my books is your favorite?"
That was easy. "God Bless You Mr. Rosewater." He grinned again and waved as we walked off.

"God Bless You Mr. Rosewater." perfectly exemplifies Kurt Vonnegut's style of writing and his satirical genius. Elliot Rosewater's goal in life is to be kind and helpful. He establishes a foundation in his name to do just that. Of course the rest of society deems him to be insane and Mr. Rosewater is institutionalized.

In the twenty-five years since our brief meeting, I have reread many of my favorite Kurt Vonnegut titles. Currently, "Slapstick" is on my short list of books to read. But now, each reading not only speaks to me. I now hear the actual sound of the voice that speaks as I read. I also have in my memory the kind and sincere face that goes along with that voice.

The world lost a great writer with the passing of Kurt Vonnegut. I am grateful for having had the few moments and the all too brief conversation with him that I did.

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