KURT VONNEGUT'S LETTER TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Oznell · ‎11-08-2014

In 2006, a high school teacher assigned her students to write to a famous author of their choosing. The only one who responded was Kurt Vonnegut ( "Slaughterhouse-5", "Cat's Cradle", "Breakfast of Champions", et al)--

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I love what his letter to those kids reveals about him. Love his mordant honesty about himself, and his 'seize the day' esprit. At 84, this celebrated writer took time to pen this, AND, include a funny, hand-drawn self portrait. I hope each kid to this day knows the value of what he/she received from this great writer--

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Have you ever written to someone you respected, whom you didn't know, and received an answer?

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@Oznellwrote:
In 2006, a high school teacher assigned her students to write to a famous author of their choosing. The only one who responded was Kurt Vonnegut ( "Slaughterhouse-5", "Cat's Cradle", "Breakfast of Champions", et al)--
----
I love what his letter to those kids reveals about him. Love his mordant honesty about himself, and his 'seize the day' esprit. At 84, this celebrated writer took time to pen this, AND, include a funny, hand-drawn self portrait. I hope each kid to this day knows the value of what he/she received from this great writer--
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Have you ever written to someone you respected, whom you didn't know, and received an answer?

@Oznell

Sort of. While having a couple cups of coffee with Jerry Garcia of the Grateful dead I asked if he could do a certain song acoustically vs the usual electric version at a coming up concert and he did, had the band do that at the concert.

And what a great guy Kurt Vonnegut was, read his books over and over. My college art teacher said something similar, he asked us to take out 3 of our favorite paintings from the year and tear up one of them. Hysteria in the classroom, he said we really didn't have to do that but the point was if you lose something that you really love and have to do it again most likely it'll be better and you'll learn a lot from that. Helped me realize years ongoing that you can't hold onto everything, helps to learn to adapt and grown.

moonandthestars · ‎03-11-2010

@OznellI'm inspired by that letter! Thank you for posting. Just the reminder I need to not forget and not ignore the creative side of me.

I copied the letter and sent it to my nephew who is a huge vonnegut fan. In fact on his this year's christmas wish list is a collectible vonnegut book. not sure he realizes that might be out of my price range!! or maybe I'm overthinking what a collectible edition would be?

Again, thanks for posting

phoenixbrd · ‎03-27-2010

@OznellThank you for this poignant share. This letter was from the heart and spoke of what really matters in life.....discovering your master within and evolution of your soul's growth. So appreciate you sharing this letter. 💞

moonandthestars · ‎03-11-2010

@rockygems123Have to ask .... how did you happen to be having coffee with Jerry Garcia?!! I'm impressed! (kind of jealous too!) It's great you asked for an acoustic version of a song- that sort of thing always ends of being my favorite. What song was it? It's also amazing that they did that for you - that they really played it that way.

That's quite the lesson from your art teacher. I can see how hard that would be. I can see how that experience and even the request would help with personal growth.

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@Oznell,

I did write to an author of a book I read in elementary school. I liked it so much. I can't for the life of me remember what the book was called or the author. I am thinking it was a somewhat fantastical type novel about a tiger and written by a man from India. But I could be misremembering!

Anyway he did write me back and I was thrilled and respected him even more.My mother was imoressed too. He wrote a very sweet handwritten letter back to me.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

Chopsmom · ‎10-19-2022

@Oznell

This should be required reading in all schools!

I'm waaaaay past high school and it inspired me.

Thank you for sharing this.

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@moonandthestarswrote:
@rockygems123Have to ask .... how did you happen to be having coffee with Jerry Garcia?!! I'm impressed! (kind of jealous too!) It's great you asked for an acoustic version of a song- that sort of thing always ends of being my favorite. What song was it? It's also amazing that they did that for you - that they really played it that way.
That's quite the lesson from your art teacher. I can see how hard that would be. I can see how that experience and even the request would help with personal growth.

@moonandthestars

Jerry was playing in Berkeley at a small club called New Monk then, the club name eventually changed to Keystone Berkeley . The Jerry Garcia Band was playing that night, Jerry played with this small band concurrently while in the Dead. I knew he would be there early that night, we went several hours ahead and there we were just the 2 of us sitting at the bar drinking coffee.

As for the song? It may have been Cassidy, a Bob Weir song but maybe I have it reversed, asked them to play electric vs acoustic because the original studio song was acoustic. I wrote to the SF Chronicle when Jerry died and reiterated this story and they printed it on their page of memorials to him. If I can find that copy I'll know which song.

I do remember telling him that I thought his best album riff was "Not Fade Away / Going Down the Road" on the 1971 skull & roses album and he seemed pretty pleased with that.

PS Also saw Boz Skaggs at this club once with about 50 people in the crowd, it was a great venue.

rockygems123 · ‎06-04-2012

@on the baywrote:
@Oznell,
I did write to an author of a book I read in elementary school. I liked it so much. I can't for the life of me remember what the book was called or the author. I am thinking it was a somewhat fantastical type novel about a tiger and written by a man from India. But I could be misremembering!
Anyway he did write me back and I was thrilled and respected him even more.My mother was imoressed too. He wrote a very sweet handwritten letter back to me.

@on the bay

Was it "The Man Who Rode a Tiger - an Indian Folk Story" by Alan C Jenkins?