Thursday, April 12, 2007

Goodbye Kurt Vonnegut

R.I.P.
Terry Gilliam's old collaged animations will always remind me of Kurt Vonnegut. In the way that Picasso's image of Gertrude Stein became what Gertrude Stein looked like in my mind, Kurt Vonnegut is Terry Gilliam's Twainian Birdman.
What a collaboration it could have been! Why didn't Terry Gilliam adapt Deadeye Dick? He still can and should!
I grew up with a lot of Vonnegut on the bookshelves. In some ways I think he secretly influenced me, in the sense that my household was one of freethinking and semi-atheist (dad-brothers). I didn't read any until high school (Slaughter House Five) and then more in college.
I'm going to reread as much Vonnegut I guess, as I can. And then see if I still feel the same away about whether I was influenced simply by his books being on the shelves. Then I'll write to Terry Gilliam.
Which makes me think:
My Male childhood influences simply by their mere existence include:
1.My father 2. My two older brothers 3. Walter Matthau 4. Terry Gilliam 5. Kurt Vonnegut
What are yours?

6 comments:

Jennifer L. Knox said...

My father, my uncle Frank who hooked me up to an electrcial generator, Gene Kelly, Burt Reynolds, Bill Wheeler (my dad's partner in his accounting practice--he looked Just like Larry Tate on Bewitched), and Pastor Johnson.

Bonbon Oiseau said...

NICE!

le lapin noir said...

my papa, jacques brel, and basil rathbone (sherlock holmes)

hmm its all making sense now...

The Royal Me said...

1. My Auntie Tweedie (she has more ballz than any man) 2. Kurt Vonnegut 3. Henri Matisse (Let's face it, he paved Picasso's Way) 4. Francisco De Goya (because he was just as OBSESSED with death as I am) 5. My next door neighbor growing up, Morgan aged 5. Because it's ok to run around in your older sister bumble bee tap costume.

Bonbon Oiseau said...

So do you still have a soft spot for men in bumble bee costumes?

Jennifer L. Knox said...

kaelea, I had no idea your aunt tweetie was actually a man. I'm sorry, I'm fascinated and I'm hungry--all at once.