In Memoriam, Kurt Vonnegut

Few people tackled the big issues of our time like Kurt Vonnegut. An icon to many of the Cornell Daily Sun staffers who followed him, his work reminded us that writing was there to make a difference, but it could be funny as well. Frighteningly prescient, he brought up the dangers of technology even before we knew the technology existed, much less be frightful. Nano-technologists (whent that was all the rage) use to talk about the "Ice-nine" scenario from "Cat's Cradle"

My fondest memory of a Vonnegut tale was when he reminisced about walking up State Street from downtown Ithaca after putting the "Sun" to bed and peace that drifted over him during that grueling (OK, I added the grueling) climb up east hill. It was a walk I made myself on occasions. There is a peace of mind of writing that is sent along it's way, probably not unlike sending your child off onto it's own, and it too having a life of it's own. But most of all, it's just remembering how much fun it was to be down there working on the paper.

Last year, I had the chance to go to New York City to hear Vonnegut speak at a reunion, and for various reasons, I deferred. I pause in regret. This blog is a regret avoidance mechanism for parts of my life, but not all.

Enough melancholy, go forth, have fun, and laugh. And as mis-attributed to KV, "wear sunscreen"