Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Kurt Vonnegut Jr., was born November 11, 1922, in
Indianapolis, Indiana(Dictionary of Literary Biography).
Kurt is often known for his science-fiction writing. He
often uses space travel and technology within his novels
(World Book Encyclopedia). Vonnegut attended Cornell
University from 1940 to 1942. Next, he attended the
University of Chicago from 1945 to 1947. He was awarded a
masters degree in 1971 in anthropology. Also in 1945, he
was wed to Jane Marie Cox. Kurt and Jane had three
children, Mark, Nannette and Edith(Dictionary of Literary
Biography).
In 1947, Kurt moved to Schenectady, New York to work
for General Electric Research Laboratory as a public
relations writer. It was here that he wrote his first
novel, Player Piano. Vonnegut's next move was resigning
from his job to fulfill his dream. He moved to
Provincetown, Massachusetts so he could concentrate on his
writing.
For the next seven years Vonnegut worked on novel
titled 'Upstairs and Downstairs.'
Kurt Vonnegut speaking at Case Western Reserve Uni...
Vonnegut Wooden Nickel
Confetti #8 by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.He never did finish this
novel. He received income by starting a Saab dealership and
writing short stories.
Becker 2
In 1957, his father died of lung cancer. His sister and her
husband soon died which would one day lead him to write the
novel Slapstick.
Kurt Vonnegut's writing style is exemplified in the
novel Slaughterhouse-Five. This novel also shows Vonnegut's
view on war. He entered World War II in 1939 and stayed
there for the remainder of the war. Vonnegut was captured
by the Germans and imprisoned in Dresden, Germany. He
witnessed first-hand the bombing of Dresden by the British
and Americans. He uses Slaughterhouse-Five to show that the
human race has a tendency to inflict destruction on
itself(World Book Encyclopedia).
Before he wrote Slaughterhouse-Five, he published The
Sirens of Titens in 1959. This was a...