This short collection of a few simple, practical, fun filled laced with wit and wisdom graduation speeches provides a key insight into the virtues of Kurt Vonnegut the human being, the raw talent of Kurt Vonnegut the master story teller and the intrinsic genius of Kurt Vonnegut one of our generation’s most revered, respected and at times reviled author.
Sticking to the fundamentals and never beating around the bush, Vonnegut imparts precious dollops of practical suggestions to aspiring professionals. In addition to goading the students on to be of some value to the communities of which they are an integral part, Vonnegut vitally exhorts them to never miss sight of the fact that they are humane and to act as such. He also urges them not to miss out on even the most trivial of opportunities to be one with themselves in appreciation of all the nice things on earth.
An extract from the book:
“My Uncle Alex Vonnegut, an insurance salesman who lived at 5033 North Pennsylvania, taught me something very important. He said that when things are going really well we should be sure to notice it. He was talking about very simple occasions, not great victories. Maybe drinking lemonade under a shade tree, or smelling the aroma of a bakery, or fishing, or listening to music coming from a concert hall while standing in the dark outside, or dare I say, after a kiss. He told me that it was important at such times to say out loud, “If this isn’t nice what is?””
We can add yet another simple facet to the list proposed by Kurt’s Uncle – reading Kurt’s books! For if reading Kurt Vonnegut isn’t nice, NOTHING IS!
