New Release Books by Kurt Vonnegut

Regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the most accomplished and witty social commentators of the twentieth century, all of Kurt Vonnegut''s unique strengths as a writer shine in the short fiction piece 2BR02B. The title is a clever take on Hamlet''s famous rhetorical question, "To be or not to be?" In this brave new world, it''s the phone number one calls to schedule an assisted suicide or termination -- both of which are commonplace occurrences in a time when the population is strictly controlled by government mandate.

2 B R 0 2 B'' is a short story by renowned science fiction writer Kurt Vonnegut. The title is pronounced as "2 B R naught 2 B", referencing to the famous phrase "to be, or not to be" from William Shakespeare''s ''Hamlet''. In this story, the title refers to the telephone number one dials to schedule an assisted suicide with the Federal Bureau of Termination. The setting is a society in which aging has been cured, individuals have indefinite lifespans, and population control is used to limit the population of the United States to forty million. This is maintained through a combination of infanticide and government-assisted suicide. In short, in order for someone to be born, someone must first volunteer to die. As a result, births are few and far between, and deaths occur primarily by accident.

A never-before-seen collection of deeply personal love letters from Kurt Vonnegut to his first wife, Jane, compiled and edited by their daughter “A glimpse into the mind of a writer finding his voice.”—The Washington Post “If ever I do write anything of length—good or bad—it will be written with you in mind.” Kurt Vonnegut’s eldest daughter, Edith, was cleaning out her mother’s attic when she stumbled upon a dusty, aged box. Inside, she discovered an unexpected treasure: more than two hundred love letters written by Kurt to Jane, spanning the early years of their relationship. The letters begin in 1941, after the former schoolmates reunited at age nineteen, sparked a passionate summer romance, and promised to keep in touch when they headed off to their respective colleges. And they did, through Jane’s conscientious studying and Kurt’s struggle to pass chemistry. The letters continue after Kurt dropped out and enlisted in the army in 1943, while Jane in turn graduated and worked for the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, D.C. They also detail Kurt’s deployment to Europe in 1944, where he was taken prisoner of war and declared missing in action, and his eventual safe return home and the couple’s marriage in 1945. Full of the humor and wit that we have come to associate with Kurt Vonnegut, the letters also reveal little-known private corners of his mind. Passionate and tender, they form an illuminating portrait of a young soldier’s life in World War II as he attempts to come to grips with love and mortality. And they bring to light the origins of Vonnegut the writer, when Jane was the only person who believed in and supported him supported him, the young couple having no idea how celebrated he would become. A beautiful full-color collection of handwritten letters, notes, sketches, and comics, interspersed with Edith’s insights and family memories, Love, Kurt is an intimate record of a young man growing into himself, a fascinating account of a writer finding his voice, and a moving testament to the life-altering experience of falling in love.

With Kurt Vonnegut’s seminal anti-war story, Slaughterhouse-Five, Eisner Award-winning writer Ryan North (Unbeatable Squirrel Girl) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Albert Monteys (Universe!) translate a literary classic into comic book form in the tradition of A Wrinkle in Time and Fight Club 2. Billy Pilgrim has read Kilgore Trout and opened a successful optometry business. Billy Pilgrim has built a loving family and witnessed the firebombing of Dresden. Billy Pilgrim has traveled to the planet Tralfamadore and met Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time. Slaughterhouse-Five is at once a farcical look at the horror and tragedy of war where children are placed on the frontlines and die (so it goes), and a moving examination of what it means to be a fallible human.

An experimental television play composed of excerpts from his novels and stories, Between Time and Timbuktu features Kurt Vonnegut’s special blend of scientific expertise, wit, and penetrating comment. “Most unusual, ultra imaginative . . . a sort of cross between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Alice in Wonderland.”—Philadelphia Inquirer The basic story line: Young Stony Stevenson wins a jingle contest and, as his prize, is blasted off into the time-space warp. The country’s first poet-astronaut thus experiences both past and future human history simultaneously. His observations on it consist mainly of dramatized selections from the author’s works. The result is a unique Vonnegut sampler cast in the form of “an excellent drama” (Pittsburgh Press).

A collection of commencement speeches and other wit and wisdom from the New York Times–bestselling literary icon and author of Slaughterhouse-Five. Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut’s words were unfailingly insightful and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation. This expanded third edition also includes more than sixty pages of further thoughts from Vonnegut (whose good advice wasn’t limited to graduation speeches). Edited by Dan Wakefield, this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers everywhere. Hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and at times deeply serious, these reflections are ideal not just for graduates but for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony”—marking the long and challenging passage to full-time adulthood. “Like Mark Twain, Mr. Vonnegut used humor to tackle the basic questions of human existence.” —The New York Times

Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons is a rare opportunity to experience Kurt Vonnegut speaking in his own voice about his own life, his views of the world, his writing, and the writing of others. An indignant, outrageous, witty, deeply felt collection of reviews, essays, and speeches, this is a window not only into Vonnegut’s mind but also into his heart. “A book filled with madness and truth and absurdity and self-revelation . . . [Vonnegut is] a great cosmic comedian and rattler of human skeletons, an idealist disguised as a pessimist.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch Includes the following essays, speeches, and works: “Science Fiction” “Brief Encounters on the Inland Waterway” “Hello, Star Vega” “Teaching the Unteachable” “Yes, We Have No Nirvanas” “Fortitude” “‘There’s a Maniac Loose Out There’” “Excelsior! We’re Going to the Moon! Excelsior!” “Address to the American Physical Society” “Good Missiles, Good Manners, Good Night” “Why They Read Hesse” “Oversexed in Indianapolis” “The Mysterious Madame Blavatsky” “Biafra: A People Betrayed” “Address to Graduating Class at Bennington College, 1970” “Torture and Blubber” “Address to the National Institute of Arts and Letters, 1971” “Reflections on my Own Death” “In a Manner that Must Shame God Himself” “Thinking Unthinkable, Speaking Unspeakable” “Address at Rededication of Wheaton College Library, 1973” “Invite Rita Rait to America!” “Address to P.E.N. Conference in Stockholm, 1973” “A Political Disease” “Playboy Interview”

“A rich, generous book about writing and reading and Kurt Vonnegut as writer, teacher, and friend . . . Every page brings pleasure and insight.”—Gail Godwin, New York Times bestselling author Here is an entirely new side of Kurt Vonnegut, Vonnegut as a teacher of writing. Of course he’s given us glimpses before, with aphorisms and short essays and articles and in his speeches. But never before has an entire book been devoted to Kurt Vonnegut the teacher. Here is pretty much everything Vonnegut ever said or wrote having to do with the writing art and craft, altogether a healing, a nourishing expedition. His former student, Suzanne McConnell, has outfitted us for the journey, and in these 37 chapters covers the waterfront of how one American writer brought himself to the pinnacle of the writing art, and we can all benefit as a result. Kurt Vonnegut was one of the few grandmasters of American literature, whose novels continue to influence new generations about the ways in which our imaginations can help us to live. Few aspects of his contribution have not been plumbed—fourteen novels, collections of his speeches, his essays, his letters, his plays—so this fresh view of him is a bonanza for writers and readers and Vonnegut fans everywhere. “Part homage, part memoir, and a 100% guide to making art with words, Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style is a simply mesmerizing book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough!”—Andre Dubus III, #1 New York Times bestselling author “The blend of memory, fact, keen observation, spellbinding descriptiveness and zany characters that populated Vonnegut’s work is on full display here.”—James McBride, National Book Award-winning author

Musaicum Books presents to you this unique SF collection, designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. E. M. Forster: The Machine Stops Richard Jefferies: After London Richard Stockham: Perchance to Dream Irving E. Cox: The Guardians Philip F. Nowlan: Armageddon–2419 A.D… George Griffith: The Angel of the Revolution… Percy Greg: Across the Zodiac David Lindsay: A Voyage to Arcturus Edward E. Hale: The Brick Moon Stanley G. Weinbaum: A Martian Odyssey… Abraham Merritt The Moon Pool… Edgar Wallace: The Green Rust… H. Beam Piper: Terro-Human Future History… Garrett P. Serviss: The Sky Pirate… Philip K. Dick: Second Variety… Jules Verne: Journey to the Center of the Earth H. G. Wells: The Time Machine Edgar Allan Poe: A Descent into the Maelstrom… Mary Shelley: Frankenstein… Edwin A. Abbott: Flatland Jack London: Iron Heel… R. L. Stevenson: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde George MacDonald: Lilith H. Rider Haggard: King Solomon''s Mines She William H. Hodgson: The Night Land… Edward Bellamy: Looking Backward… Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur''s Court Arthur Conan Doyle: The Lost World… Edgar Rice Burroughs Pellucidar Series Caspak Series Francis Bacon: New Atlantis C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne: The Lost Continent Margaret Cavendish: The Blazing World Jonathan Swift: Gulliver''s Travels William Morris: News from Nowhere Samuel Butler: Erewhon Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Coming Race James F. Cooper: The Monikins Charlotte P. Gilman: Herland Ayn Rand: Anthem Owen Gregory: Meccania the Su...

Welcome to the Futurepast Anthology! We''ve gathered some of the biggest names in Science Fiction (Asimov! Bradbury! Herbert! Vonnegut!) to celebrate the future visions of yesterday. Futurepast is a collection of some of the greatest science fiction writers writing at their pulpiest best in magazines like Galaxy Science Fiction and Amazing Science Fiction Stories. And while these stories may have been written in the past, all of them are set squarely in a future that''s still as relevant and exhilarating as the day these words were first printed into existence.

e-artnow presents to you this meticulously edited and formatted SF collection, jam-packed with the dystopian worlds, intergalactic action-adventures, and the greatest Sci-Fi classics: E. M. Forster: The Machine Stops Richard Jefferies: After London Richard Stockham: Perchance to Dream Irving E. Cox: The Guardians Philip F. Nowlan: Armageddon–2419 A.D… George Griffith: The Angel of the Revolution… Percy Greg: Across the Zodiac David Lindsay: A Voyage to Arcturus Edward E. Hale: The Brick Moon Stanley G. Weinbaum: A Martian Odyssey… Abraham Merritt The Moon Pool… Edgar Wallace: The Green Rust… H. Beam Piper: Terro-Human Future History… Garrett P. Serviss: The Sky Pirate… Philip K. Dick: Second Variety… Jules Verne: Journey to the Center of the Earth H. G. Wells: The Time Machine Edgar Allan Poe: A Descent into the Maelstrom… Mary Shelley: Frankenstein… Edwin A. Abbott: Flatland Jack London: Iron Heel… R. L. Stevenson: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde George MacDonald: Lilith H. Rider Haggard: King Solomon''s Mines She William H. Hodgson: The Night Land… Edward Bellamy: Looking Backward… Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur''s Court Arthur Conan Doyle: The Lost World… Edgar Rice Burroughs Pellucidar Series Caspak Series Francis Bacon: New Atlantis C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne: The Lost Continent Margaret Cavendish: The Blazing World Jonathan Swift: Gulliver''s Travels William Morris: News from Nowhere Samuel Butler: Erewhon Edward Bulwer-Lytton: The Coming Race James F. Cooper: The Monikins Charlotte P. Gilman: Herland Ayn Rand: Anthem Owen Gregory: Meccania the Super-State Hugh Benson: Lord of the World Fred M. White: The Doom of London Ignatius Donnelly: Caesar''s Column Ernest Bramah: The Secret of the League Milo Hastings: City of Endless Night Arthur D. Vinton: Looking Further Backward Robert Cromie: The Crack of Doom Gertrude Bennett: The Heads of Cerberus E. E. Smith: Triplanetary… Murray Leinster: Murder Madness… Fritz Leiber: The Big Time… Andre Norton: The Time Traders… Pursuit A Traveler in Time Gulliver of Mars A Journey in Other Worlds…

Here for the first time is the complete short fiction of one of the twentieth century''s foremost imaginative geniuses. More than half of Vonnegut''s output was short fiction, and never before has the world had occasion to wrestle with it all together. Organized thematically—"War," "Women," "Science," "Romance," "Work Ethic versus Fame and Fortune," "Behavior," "The Band Director" (those stories featuring Lincoln High''s band director and nice guy George Hemholtz), and "Futuristic"—these ninety-eight stories were written from 1941 to 2007, and include those Vonnegut published in magazines and collected in Welcome to the Monkey House, Bagombo Snuff Box, and other books; here for the first time five previously unpublished stories; as well as a handful of others that were published online and read by few. During his lifetime Vonnegut published fewer than half of the stories he wrote, his agent telling him in 1958 upon the rejection of a particularly strong story, "Save it for the collection of your works which will be published someday when you become famous. Which may take a little time." Selected and introduced by longtime Vonnegut friends and scholars Dan Wakefield and Jerome Klinkowitz, Complete Stories puts Vonnegut''s great wit, humor, humanity, and artistry on full display. An extraordinary literary feast for new readers, Vonnegut fans, and scholars alike.

MDP Publishing has once again compiled a collection of 6 stories from some of history''s most prolific Science Fiction icons. These stories were originally published by Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine in the 1950''s. Stories include the 3 part full length novel The Fireman, by Ray Bradbury, the original story that his famous Farenheit 451 was based upon! Other stories include Arthur C. Clarke''s The Stroke of the Sun, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.''s The Big Trip Up Yonder, and two short stories by Academy Award-winning actor Alan Arkin. With all of the originally artwork from each issue of Galaxy, you can experience these stories the same way science fiction fans from the 1950''s did! Look for more editions of MDP''sGalaxy''s Science Fiction series, available now at e-retailers worldwide.

Based on the original motion picture Frankenstein, some of the best-known authors of the fantastic and the mysterious explore the legend of Mary Shelley’s classic monster. From Brian Aldiss’s eerie look at a mysterious creature hidden for centuries, to S.P. Somtow’s tale of passion and dismemberment in Thailand, to Katherine Dunn’s examination of a bizarre affair—here are spectacular new Frankenstein stories transcending time and place. New Stories by Various Authors Featuring Kurt Vonnegut Classic, “Fortitude” Introduction by Isaac Asimov Selected Filmography by Leonard Wolf Illustrations by C.B. Mordan Cover design by Fearn Cutler Cover art by Bruce Jensen A Byron Preiss Book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “For all those who have lived with Vonnegut in their imaginations . . . this is what he is like in person.”–USA Today In a volume that is penetrating, introspective, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny, one of the great men of letters of this age–or any age–holds forth on life, art, sex, politics, and the state of America’s soul. From his coming of age in America, to his formative war experiences, to his life as an artist, this is Vonnegut doing what he does best: Being himself. Whimsically illustrated by the author, A Man Without a Country is intimate, tender, and brimming with the scope of Kurt Vonnegut’s passions. Praise for A Man Without a Country “[This] may be as close as Vonnegut ever comes to a memoir.”–Los Angeles Times “Like [that of] his literary ancestor Mark Twain, [Kurt Vonnegut’s] crankiness is good-humored and sharp-witted. . . . [Reading A Man Without a Country is] like sitting down on the couch for a long chat with an old friend.”–The New York Times Book Review “Filled with [Vonnegut’s] usual contradictory mix of joy and sorrow, hope and despair, humor and gravity.”–Chicago Tribune “Fans will linger on every word . . . as once again [Vonnegut] captures the complexity of the human condition with stunning calligraphic simplicity.”–The Australian “Thank God, Kurt Vonnegut has broken his promise that he will never write another book. In this wondrous assemblage of mini-memoirs, we discover his family’s legacy and his obstinate, unfashionable humanism.”–Studs Terkel

Sun Moon Star is the story of the birth of Jesus—as told by Kurt Vonnegut. This children''s book takes the newborn Jesus'' perspective, offering beautiful and insightful descriptions of the world from someone newly born into it. In this book, we follow Jesus and meet the people most important to his life—presented in new and surprising ways. A powerful departure from Vonnegut''s more adult work, Sun Moon Star gives readers a rare glimpse of the writer''s talent in a format that''s unique and unexpected. This book''s well-crafted simplicity is sure to make it a favorite—with both children and adult readers who are Vonnegut fans.

The ultimate Vonnegut: all 14 novels plus a selection of the best of his stories in a definitive collector''s boxed set. The novels of Kurt Vonnegut defined a generation a remain among the most enduringly popular and influential works of the last century. Now, for the first time, they are available in a single collector''s edition, featuring authoritative annotated texts. This boxed set includes four Library of America volumes: Novels & Stories 1950-1962 Player Piano / The Sirens of Titan / Mother Night Novels & Stories 1963-1973 Cat''s Cradle / God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater / Slaughterhouse-Five / Breakfast of Champions Novels 1976-1985 Slapstick / Jailbird / Deadeye Dick / Galapagos Novels 1987-1997 Bluebeard / Hocus Pocus / Timequake LIBRARY OF AMERICA is an independent nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1979 to preserve our nation''s literary heritage by publishing, and keeping permanently in print, America''s best and most significant writing. The Library of America series includes more than 300 volumes to date, authoritative editions that average 1,000 pages in length, feature cloth covers, sewn bindings, and ribbon markers, and are printed on premium acid-free paper that will last for centuries.

Sixteen compelling tales of post-apocalyptic societies and dystopian worlds include stories by Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, W. E. B. Du Bois, Harlan Ellison, and others.

Since its original publication in 1968, Welcome to the Monkey House has been one of Kurt Vonnegut’s most beloved works. This special edition celebrates a true master of the short-story form by including multiple variant drafts of what would eventually be the title story. In a fascinating accompanying essay, “Building the Monkey House: At Kurt Vonnegut’s Writing Table,” noted Vonnegut scholar Gregory D. Sumner walks readers through Vonnegut’s process as the author struggles—false start after false start—to hit upon what would be one of his greatest stories. The result is the rare chance to watch a great writer hone his craft in real time. Includes the following stories: “Where I Live” “Harrison Bergeron” “Who Am I This Time?” “Welcome to the Monkey House” “Long Walk to Forever” “The Foster Portfolio” “Miss Temptation” “All the King’s Horses” “Tom Edison’s Shaggy Dog” “New Dictionary” “Next Door” “More Stately Mansions” “The Hyannis Port Story” “D.P.” “Report on the Barnhouse Effect” “The Euphio Question” “Go Back to Your Precious Wife and Son” “Deer in the Works” “The Lie” “Unready to Wear” “The Kid Nobody Could Handle” “The Manned Missiles” “Epicac” “Adam” “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow”

The subject of this play—as we are told at the outset—is love, pure and complicated. Set on the stage of The North Crawford Mask & Wig Club ("the finest community theatre in central Connecticut!"), three early comic masterpieces by Kurt Vonnegut (Long Walk to Forever, Who am I This Time? and Go Back to Your Precious Wife and Son) are sewn together into a seamless evening of hilarity and humanity. With a single set, wonderful roles for seven versatile actors, and Vonnegut''s singular wit and insight into human foibles, this is a smart, delightful comedy for the whole family.

America owes Kurt Vonnegut a debt of gratitude for infusing its culture with the brilliant insight found in books like Mother Night, Player Piano and Slaughterhouse-5—and for the mordantly funny writings assembled in this collection. The Nation was one of Vonnegut’s outlets for his political writings. He contributed to the magazine once or twice a year from 1978 to 1998, like a regular donation to the United Way. His politics were consistently on the left, and after fighting in World War II—which, for all its horrors, he considered just—he angrily condemned all of the United States’ subsequent wars of choice. He wrote in a kind of faux-simpleminded style. He avoided the high seriousness demanded by some critics, who dismissed his body of work as a product of the 1960s counterculture, popular only among shaggy-haired youths with callow taste. But his best work, as you’ll see, deals with ultimate questions.

‘Black satire of the highest polish’ Guardian Whilst awaiting trial for war crimes in an Israeli prison, Howard W. Campbell Jr sets down his memoirs on an old German typewriter. He has used such a typewriter before, when he worked as a Nazi propagandist under Goebbels. Though that was before he agreed to become a spy for US military. Is Howard guilty? Can a black or white verdict ever be reached in a world that’s a gazillion shades of grey? ‘After Vonnegut, everything else seems a bit tame’ Spectator

The Fourth Science Fiction Megapack selects 25 more modern and classic science fiction stories, by talented authors new and old. Authors in this volume include: Mary A. Turzillo, E.C. Tubb, Murray Leinster, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Jason Andrew, Henry Kuttner, Cynthia Ward, George H. Scithers and John Gregory Betancourt, Milton Lesser, John Russell Fearn, Harry Harrison, Isaac Asimov, Ayn Rand, and many more Complete contents "Zora and the Land Ethic Nomads," by Mary A. Turzillo "Food for Friendship," by E.C. Tubb "The Life Work of Professor Muntz," by Murray Leinster "Tiny and the Monster," by Theodore Sturgeon "Beyond Lies the Wub," by Philip K. Dick "Pictures Don’t Lie," by Katherine MacLean "The Big Trip Up Yonder," by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. "Storm Warning," by Donald A. Wollheim "The Application of Discipline," by Jason Andrew "Tom the Universe," by Larry Hodges "Wild Seed," by Carmelo Rafala "Tabula Rasa," by Ray Cluley "The Eyes of Thar," by Henry Kuttner "Regenesis," by Cynthia Ward "Not Omnipotent Enough," by George H. Scithers and John Gregory Betancourt "Plato’s Bastards," by James C. Stewart "Pen Pal," by Milton Lesser "Living Under the Conditions," by James K. Moran "The Arbiter," by John Russell Fearn "The Grandmother-Granddaughter Conspiracy," by Marissa Lingen "Top Secret," by David Grinnell "Living Under the Conditions," by James K. Moran "Sense of Obligation," by Harry Harrison "Angel''s Egg," by Edgar Pangborn "Youth," by Isaac Asimov "Anthem," by Ayn Rand And don''t forget to search this ebook store for more entries in the "Megapack" series -- covering Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mysteries, Westerns, Cthulhu Mythos, and many other subjects.

Read Kurt Vonnegut''s powerful masterpiece, which is as timely now as when it was first published. ‘An extraordinary success. A book to read and reread. He is a true artist’ New York Times Book Review Billy Pilgrim – hapless barber''s assistant, successful optometrist, alien abductee, senile widower and soldier – has become unstuck in time. Hiding in the basement of a slaughterhouse in Dresden, with the city and its inhabitants burning above him, he finds himself a survivor of one of the most deadly and destructive battles of the Second World War. But when, exactly? How did he get here? And how does he get out? Travel through time and space on the shoulders of Vonnegut himself. This is a book about war. Listen to what he has to say: it is of the utmost urgency. ‘The great, urgent, passionate American writer of our century, who offers us a model of the kind of compassionate thinking that might yet save us from ourselves.’ George Saunders

One of the great American iconoclasts holds forth on politics, war, books and writers, and his personal life in a series of conversations—including his last published interview. During his long career Kurt Vonnegut won international praise for his novels, plays, and essays. In this new anthology of conversations with Vonnegut—which collects interviews from throughout his career—we learn much about what drove Vonnegut to write and how he viewed his work at the end. From Kurt Vonnegut''s Last Interview Is there another book in you, by chance? No. Look, I’m 84 years old. Writers of fiction have usually done their best work by the time they’re 45. Chess masters are through when they’re 35, and so are baseball players. There are plenty of other people writing. Let them do it. So what’s the old man’s game, then? My country is in ruins. So I’m a fish in a poisoned fishbowl. I’m mostly just heartsick about this. There should have been hope. This should have been a great country. But we are despised all over the world now. I was hoping to build a country and add to its literature. That’s why I served in World War II, and that’s why I wrote books. When someone reads one of your books, what would you like them to take from the experience? Well, I’d like the guy—or the girl, of course—to put the book down and think, “This is the greatest man who ever lived.”

Like Shaking Hands with God details a collaborative journey on the art of writing undertaken by two distinguished writers separated by age, race, upbringing, and education, but sharing common goals and aspirations. Rarely have two writers spoken so candidly about the intersection where the lives they live meet the art they practice. That these two writers happen to be Kurt Vonnegut and Lee Stringer makes this a historic and joyous occasion. The setting was a bookstore in New York City, the date Thursday, October 1, 1998. Before a crowd of several hundred, Vonnegut and Stringer took up the challenge of writing books that would make a difference and the concomitant challenge of living from day to day. As Vonnegut said afterward, ""It was a magical evening."" A book for anyone interested in why the simple act of writing things down can be more important than the amount of memory in our computers.

From Slapstick''s "Turkey Farm" to Slaughterhouse-Five''s eternity in a Tralfamadorean zoo cage with Montana Wildhack, the question of the afterlife never left Kurt Vonnegut''s mind. In God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian, Vonnegut skips back and forth between life and the Afterlife as if the difference between them were rather slight. In thirty odd "interviews," Vonnegut trips down "the blue tunnel to the pearly gates" in the guise of a roving reporter for public radio, conducting interviews: with Salvatore Biagini, a retired construction worker who died of a heart attack while rescuing his schnauzer from a pit bull, with John Brown, still smoldering 140 years after his death by hanging, with William Shakespeare, who rubs Vonnegut the wrong way, and with socialist and labor leader Eugene Victor Debs, one of Vonnegut''s personal heroes. What began as a series of ninety-second radio interludes for WNYC, New York City''s public radio station, evolved into this provocative collection of musings about who and what we live for, and how much it all matters in the end. From the original portrait by his friend Jules Feiffer that graces the cover, to a final entry from Kilgore Trout, God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian remains a joy.

From the author of Slaughterhouse 5. Rudy Waltz, a middle-aged expat in Haiti, tells the story of his life, and the tragic event in his childhood that has long haunted him.