Rest in Peace, Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut has died. I’ve never been a huge fan of his novels, although I do admire his brazen genre-bending style that so few writers even attempt.

But what I will always remember about Vonnegut is the lecture he gave at my university. My writing life was fundamentally changed by his description of what a perfect story should be. I can’t repeat the lesson here as it is long and requires graphs. What I can say is that he analyzed Hamlet and the result was a straight line. That probably makes no sense out of context but, to me, it’s a lesson I’ve lived by ever since.

Many today will mourn Vonnegut the writer. I mourn Vonnegut the teacher. Kurt, you never knew me but I have to say thanks. You inspired me.