RIP Kurt.

I just found out this morning that one of my favourite authors, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., passed away this week. I've been a fan of his writing for years, so I was saddened by this news. He was 84, and he died from injuries resulting from a fall a few weeks ago.

Here's an obit:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/books/12vonnegut.html?ex=1191988800&en=aa74...

Coincidentally or not, just last night I opened a Vonnegut book I got for Christmas. It's called "Welcome to the Monkey House", and I read the Preface last night. He wrote that at one time, in response to someone who asked what he does, he responded, "I am committing suicide by cigarettes". He was a heavy smoker, and he often joked about suing a cigarette company for claiming that cigarettes can kill you, but he was still alive...

He was also a "humanist", which apparently means he tries to behave decently without any expectation of rewards or punishment after death. He was honourary charmain of the American Humanist Association - a position once filled by Isaac Asimov. At Asimov's death, Vonnegut stated, "He's up in Heaven now" - an ironic statement, given that humanists don't believe in heaven... Now that Vonnegut's dead, I imagine someone is saying the same thing...

Kurt's in Heaven now...

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12:04 p.m.
2007-04-13

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RIP Kurt. - 2007-04-13