Talking Vonnegut - by Chuck Augello (Paperback)

About the Book

"This collection of 29 interviews explores the outer reaches of the Kurt Vonnegut universe. Conversations reveal how Robert B. Weide's letter to Kurt led to a long friendship and an acclaimed documentary, how readers in the former Soviet Union fell in love with Vonnegut during the Cold War, how Ryan North and Albert Monteys adapted Slaughterhouse-Five into a graphic novel, how two podcasters introduced him to a new generation of readers, and how Vonnegut's time teaching at the Iowa Writers Workshop helped transform him from an unknown paperback writer into a literary superstar. Also included are eight essays by the author. These cover Vonnegut's thoughts on guns and loneliness, evaluate his posthumous publications, offer a guide to the best Vonnegut videos available online, and ask questions like "Was Kurt Vonnegut secretly a romance writer?" A resource for students, scholars and fans, this book offers windows into Vonnegut's life and art that are often overlooked in standard biographies"--

Book Synopsis

This collection of 29 interviews explores the outer reaches of the Kurt Vonnegut universe. Conversations reveal how Robert B. Weide's letter to Kurt led to a long friendship and an acclaimed documentary, how readers in the former Soviet Union fell in love with Vonnegut during the Cold War, how Ryan North and Albert Monteys adapted Slaughterhouse-Five into a graphic novel, how two podcasters introduced him to a new generation of readers, and how Vonnegut's time teaching at the Iowa Writers Workshop helped transform him from an unknown paperback writer into a literary superstar.

Also included are eight essays by the author. These cover Vonnegut's thoughts on guns and loneliness, evaluate his posthumous publications, offer a guide to the best Vonnegut videos available online, and ask questions like "Was Kurt Vonnegut secretly a romance writer?" A resource for students, scholars and fans, this book offers windows into Vonnegut's life and art that are often overlooked in standard biographies.

Review Quotes

"Talking Vonnegut: Centennial Interviews and Essays may be anticipated by many as a scholarly discourse of literary import, but it's far more than another analysis of the writer's work. ...interviewees each shed a unique light on Vonnegut and the lasting impact of his writings. The real meat of an interview collection lies in the types of questions that prompt extraordinary answers and reader reflections. Aguello fulfills that duty, crafting such conversations among an unusually widespread list of fans and fellow influencers. Readers even only casually familiar with the author and his works will come away with a deeper knowledge of Vonnegut's influence and focuses. ...followers come away from these personal queries with a far deeper appreciation of the extent and scholarship of Vonnegut's writings and their world-wide impact. Libraries serious about representing the impact of Vonnegu's craft should consider Talking Vonnegut a foundation acquisition central to both any semi-definitive or authoritative Vonnegut collection. It's especially highly recommendable to students and readers of Vonnegut, who will receive key information and insights about the man and his work which are simply unavailable elsewhere."-Midwest Book Review

"What a book! All these facets make for a most complete portrait of Kurt Vonnegut."-Jerome Klinkowitz, author of The Vonnegut Effect and Kurt Vonnegut's America

About the Author

Chuck Augello is the founder of The Daily Vonnegut, a website exploring the life and art of Kurt Vonnegut. He is the author of two novels and his work has appeared in One Story, Necessary Fiction and Literary Hub. He lives in New Jersey.