Kurt Vonnegut - Quodid

About

Picture of Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut ( VON-ə-gət; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American author known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. His published work includes fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfiction works over fifty years; further works have been published since his death.

Quotes from Kurt Vonnegut

I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine.

—Kurt Vonnegut

Here's what I think the truth is: We are all addicts of fossil fuels in a state of denial. And like so many addicts about to face cold turkey, our leaders are now committing violent crimes to get what little is left of what we're hooked on.

—Kurt Vonnegut

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.

—Kurt Vonnegut

The chief weapon of sea pirates, however, was their capacity to astonish. Nobody else could believe, until it was too late, how heartless and greedy they were.

—Kurt Vonnegut

Thanks to TV and for the convenience of TV, you can only be one of two kinds of human beings, either a liberal or a conservative.

—Kurt Vonnegut

If people think nature is their friend, then they sure don't need an enemy.

—Kurt Vonnegut

risk danger nature

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.

—Kurt Vonnegut

laughter exhaustion tears frustration

What should young people do with their lives today? . . . The most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.

—Kurt Vonnegut

I think I succeeded as a writer because I did not come out of an English department. I used to write in the chemistry department. And I wrote some good stuff. If I had been in the English department, the prof would have looked at my short stories, congratulated me on my talent, and then showed me how Joyce or Hemingway handled the same elements of the short story. The prof would have placed me in competition with the greatest writers of all time, and that would have ended my writing career.

—Kurt Vonnegut

talent career writing English

Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.

—Kurt Vonnegut

Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand

—Kurt Vonnegut

supernatural telekinetics

Well, the telling of jokes is an art of its own, and it always rises from some emotional threat. The best jokes are dangerous, and dangerous because they are in some way truthful.

—Kurt Vonnegut

truth art emotion jokes

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Books

Kurt Vonnegut has the following books quoted on Quodid: