Books: Kurt Vonnegut Dies at 84

Say it ain't so! Hearing this news this morning made me genuinely sad, an ache beneath my breastbone. I read all his books during those oh-so-tender high school years and really felt like they became a part of who I am now, ya know? His irreverence and sarcasm and quirky perspectives on reality gave me permission, in a sense, to be irreverent and sarcastic and quirky myself. A fundamental part of my spirituality is an idea I first discovered in his book Breakfast of Champions: the belief that at the core, people are unwavering bands of light. Even my use of the term "noodle factory" to refer to the company I work for is not-so-subtly lifted from Kurt Vonnegut's word for libraries. The more I think back on it now, the more I realize how fundamental Vonnegut's books were in shaping the person who I became.

This is kind of like hearing that an old friend has died. Which I suppose is kinda how it is.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Obit-Vonnegut.html