Kurt Vonnegut; 1922-2007

During the course of the life of a human being, there is a short list of artists who forever alter your perception of the world, and change the very definition of what it is to live, breath, and be human. Often strange, enigmatic figures, they inspire many to try and understand their own view of the world, and express that view through whichever medium they feel most comfortable.

Yesterday, one of the few artists on my list passed away.

I remember when I was in high school, and my literature teacher Rob Gardner recommended Slaughter House Five to me, after I had just finished and thoroughly enjoyed Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

The book blew me away as no piece of literature ever had. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and most importantly, it made me think. It truly is a masterpiece. If you have not read it, I urge you to do so immediately. I cannot overstate how much this book effected my life. Much of who I am as an artist today, I owe to this man.

Kurt Vonnegut, thank you for sharing your strange and warped perspective with me, and for helping me feel slightly less alone. You will be missed.