Locals react to death of Indianapolis author

Indiana has lost one of its greatest native sons.\nKurt Vonnegut died one week ago from complications of brain injuries suffered as a result of a fall weeks ago, according to The Associated Press. As a result of Vonnegut’s death, there has been much praise and remembrance both nationally and locally in Bloomington.\n“He will be very much missed,” English professor Christine Farris said. “He has been a very important public writer, which is something you don’t always see.” Farris also referred to Vonnegut as a contemporary satirist with important political messages.\nVonnegut was most known for his unique style of writing. He used satire and dark comedy in many of his stories to get his message across. \n“Vonnegut had a great ability to see through the dark and contrast it to see the good of people,” Farris said. \nHe often combined reoccurring characters and different literary themes in both the science fiction and satire genres throughout his career.\n“He was very good at taking fantastic materials and bringing them into the mainstream of American consciousness” literature professor Dewitt Kilgore said. “He was a satirist of American life, holding a fabulous mirror to who and what we are, forcing us to see more clearly.”\nVonnegut has been called one of the most important voices of modern literature. Much of Vonnegut’s writing career was defined by his role in World War II as a prisoner of war, during which he experienced the bombings of Dresden, Germany. \nHis anti-authoritarian style prompted many to question reasons behind the Vietnam War during 1969 when “Slaughterhouse-Five” was published. From that book came one of Vonnegut’s signature phrases, “So it goes.”\n“He used (the character) Billy Pilgrim, an American soldier, and his ability to travel back and forth in time to comment on the humanity and senselessness of war,” Farris said. “This was especially important when I was growing up and ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ came out at the same time of the bombing in Cambodia.”\nWhen the news of his death circulated, IU students were saddened by his loss. \n“Hearing the news of Vonnegut’s death left me heartbroken. One of the books I really fell in love with, very early on in my youth, was ‘Cat’s Cradle,’ and my appreciation for his work barreled forth steadily after that read,” senior Debby Basu said in an e-mail interview. “It was rather shocking to discover that one of my literary heroes was not immortal.”\nThe message boards on many Kurt Vonnegut Facebook groups were filled with condolences from students across the country, sharing their favorite Vonnegut memories. Here at IU, the impact of his death has been felt greatly. Vonnegut received an honorary doctorate from IU in 1973.\n“I felt deep sadness of course for the loss of a wonderful human being and a creative mind, a brilliant person full of human expression and skepticism of humanity,” sophomore Sarah Taylor said.\nVonnegut’s death not only was important to the IU campus, but also to his birthplace of Indianapolis.\n“He created a name for Indiana authors. His concepts and style of writing were very revolutionary. He didn’t create any new styles, but he brought a fresh approach for writing,” English instructor Ted Leahey said.\nVonnegut’s legendary career concluded in 2006 with the New York Times bestselling collection of essays “A Man Without a Country.” His readers and adoring fans now reflect upon the life and death of one of America’s greatest writers and voices.\nAs Vonnegut himself might say, “So it goes.”