What do you think?
Rate this book
Essential Vonnegut Interviews
Over the course of Kurt Vonnegut's career as a writer, he sat down many times with radio host and interviewer Walter James Miller to conduct in-depth discussions of his work and the world. Now Caedmon has collected the best of these interviews on CD for the first time. This is the perfect audio collection for the Vonnegut fan who wants to understand the writer as he was, is, and will be.
Audio CD
First published November 28, 2006
About the author
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
570 books34.5k followersKurt Vonnegut, Junior was an American novelist, satirist, and most recently, graphic artist. He was recognized as New York State Author for 2001-2003.
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.
After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.
His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.
Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)
He was born in Indianapolis, later the setting for many of his novels. He attended Cornell University from 1941 to 1943, where he wrote a column for the student newspaper, the Cornell Daily Sun. Vonnegut trained as a chemist and worked as a journalist before joining the U.S. Army and serving in World War II.
After the war, he attended University of Chicago as a graduate student in anthropology and also worked as a police reporter at the City News Bureau of Chicago. He left Chicago to work in Schenectady, New York in public relations for General Electric. He attributed his unadorned writing style to his reporting work.
His experiences as an advance scout in the Battle of the Bulge, and in particular his witnessing of the bombing of Dresden, Germany whilst a prisoner of war, would inform much of his work. This event would also form the core of his most famous work, Slaughterhouse-Five, the book which would make him a millionaire. This acerbic 200-page book is what most people mean when they describe a work as "Vonnegutian" in scope.
Vonnegut was a self-proclaimed humanist and socialist (influenced by the style of Indiana's own Eugene V. Debs) and a lifelong supporter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
The novelist is known for works blending satire, black comedy and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 19 reviews
March 1, 2019
Sometimes, it's best not to know too much about your favorite authors.
June 26, 2020
Vonnegut's wit and simple, yet profound and timeless statements of truth never fail to impress me. In one of these interviews, Kurt discusses his book "A Man With No Country" which I read a few years ago. I had forgotten that he stated that most of our country's leadership are "psychopathic personalities, or PPs, the medical term for smart, personable people who have no consciences."
I wish I could disagree with him on this, but I can't.
He goes on to say, "What has allowed so many PPs to rise so high in corporations, and now in government, is that they are so decisive. They are going to do something every fuckin' day and they are not afraid. Unlike normal people, they are never filled with doubts, for the simple reasons that they don't give a fuck what happens next."
A part of me wants to read Vonnegut every day - but I don't - because his writing is something that shouldn't be consumed greedily - it should sipped over time and allowed to soak in so it stays in your conscience for a good, long while.
I wish I could disagree with him on this, but I can't.
He goes on to say, "What has allowed so many PPs to rise so high in corporations, and now in government, is that they are so decisive. They are going to do something every fuckin' day and they are not afraid. Unlike normal people, they are never filled with doubts, for the simple reasons that they don't give a fuck what happens next."
A part of me wants to read Vonnegut every day - but I don't - because his writing is something that shouldn't be consumed greedily - it should sipped over time and allowed to soak in so it stays in your conscience for a good, long while.
August 12, 2018
Loved hearing this genius talk about his current times and how his books parallel his present and ours.
June 10, 2009
“Essential Vonnegut Interviews” is comprised of three fine (albeit short) talks with the author, conducted by Walter James Miller over the course of more than three decades. The first interview focuses largely on Vonnegut's 1969 novel “Slaughterhouse-Five,” while the second (and best) is on his autobiographical “Palm Sunday,” from 1981, and the last is on “A Man Without a Country,” his political manifesto from 2005. Miller comes off as a bit pompous at times – I hardly think Vonnegut needs his own work interpreted for him, especially by someone who insists on dropping the term Jungian into his interpretations – but that shortcoming is offset by the two men's obvious camaraderie.
Vonnegut makes several interesting points about the art of the writing in the first two interviews. He castigates critics for dismissing his work as too simple and straightforward, saying that some authors write in an unnecessarily complicated way to sound smarter than they are. He also notes that each of the best-loved writers of the 20th century – Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Faulkner among them – ultimately included an extra character in each of their books: the writer himself. Readers eventually demand that presence, he argues, and that's why, starting with “Slaughterhouse-Five,” Vonnegut began including himself in his books. (None of the movies made from Hemingway's books was a success on the screen, Vonnegut says, because each was missing the presence of Hemingway himself.) Miller, unfortunately, misses an opportunity in the second interview: Vonnegut says male writers, to be remembered, need to include themselves in their books, implying that female writers do not. While I'm sure Vonnegut had an interesting explanation for his reasoning, Miller never follows up.
By the time of the last interview, recorded during the George W. Bush administration and after the start of the Iraq War, Vonnegut's concerns were primarily political, and the talk is almost solely about the state of the country and not about fiction. Anyone familiar with Vonnegut's writings in the last several years of his life will find few surprises in this talk. His most interesting comments concern his disappointment, as an old man, to find America lacking an intelligentsia – a thinking class that doesn't merely describe how the country is, but rather what it can and should be. (Also, one odd piece of trivia emerges from this interview: Vonnegut was a big fan of the television show "Law and Order." Who knew?)
Even casual fans of Vonnegut would likely enjoy these interviews, while ardent admirers will wish them much longer.
Vonnegut makes several interesting points about the art of the writing in the first two interviews. He castigates critics for dismissing his work as too simple and straightforward, saying that some authors write in an unnecessarily complicated way to sound smarter than they are. He also notes that each of the best-loved writers of the 20th century – Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Faulkner among them – ultimately included an extra character in each of their books: the writer himself. Readers eventually demand that presence, he argues, and that's why, starting with “Slaughterhouse-Five,” Vonnegut began including himself in his books. (None of the movies made from Hemingway's books was a success on the screen, Vonnegut says, because each was missing the presence of Hemingway himself.) Miller, unfortunately, misses an opportunity in the second interview: Vonnegut says male writers, to be remembered, need to include themselves in their books, implying that female writers do not. While I'm sure Vonnegut had an interesting explanation for his reasoning, Miller never follows up.
By the time of the last interview, recorded during the George W. Bush administration and after the start of the Iraq War, Vonnegut's concerns were primarily political, and the talk is almost solely about the state of the country and not about fiction. Anyone familiar with Vonnegut's writings in the last several years of his life will find few surprises in this talk. His most interesting comments concern his disappointment, as an old man, to find America lacking an intelligentsia – a thinking class that doesn't merely describe how the country is, but rather what it can and should be. (Also, one odd piece of trivia emerges from this interview: Vonnegut was a big fan of the television show "Law and Order." Who knew?)
Even casual fans of Vonnegut would likely enjoy these interviews, while ardent admirers will wish them much longer.
April 20, 2022
Nu le-aș numi esențiale ori fundamentale, însă mi-a făcut plăcere să ascult interviurile, fie ele și fragmentate. Sunt discuții care au avut loc pe parcursul a trei decenii și selecția implică și o oarecare pierdere a contextului.
Kurt Vonnegut este unul dintre autorii mei preferați, așa că e o bucurie să-l ascult vorbind despre cărțile lui, despre arta de a scrie simplu și direct (în comparație cu scriitura voit complicată pentru a părea mai inteligentă) și tendința criticilor de a subaprecia sau chiar ignora lucrările care par prea simple în exprimare, cum erau și ale lui.
Am găsit o anume familiaritate în opiniile lui despre război și politică, știute și simțite întâi în paginile cărților sale. Poate cei care-i îndrăgesc cărțile și sunt familiarizați și cu autorul (l-au mai ascultat / văzut în interviuri) nu vor descoperi ceva ieșit din comun în această selecție. Însă poate fi o reîntâlnire binevenită, într-o pauză de lectură. :)
Kurt Vonnegut este unul dintre autorii mei preferați, așa că e o bucurie să-l ascult vorbind despre cărțile lui, despre arta de a scrie simplu și direct (în comparație cu scriitura voit complicată pentru a părea mai inteligentă) și tendința criticilor de a subaprecia sau chiar ignora lucrările care par prea simple în exprimare, cum erau și ale lui.
Am găsit o anume familiaritate în opiniile lui despre război și politică, știute și simțite întâi în paginile cărților sale. Poate cei care-i îndrăgesc cărțile și sunt familiarizați și cu autorul (l-au mai ascultat / văzut în interviuri) nu vor descoperi ceva ieșit din comun în această selecție. Însă poate fi o reîntâlnire binevenită, într-o pauză de lectură. :)
February 2, 2023
I can never have enough Kurt Vonnegut. His wisdom is only matched by his wit. He is funny, insightful, and humble. Truly a brilliant mind and an amazing writer. This is a complication of interviews that range in topic as much as years. Truly enjoyable and deeply impactful, but with a sad laugh or a resigned smile. The optimism of hope shadowed by the horrors of violence and humans' nearly insatiable thirst for destruction.
March 15, 2018
Really short interviews. I love Vonnegut, but this wasn't a great interview. It seemed more about the interviewer than Vonnegut. Still, it was a cool opportunity to hear Vonnegut's voice, after having heard his writerly voice so much.
October 15, 2018
These interviews are an excellent image of who Kurt Vonnegut was. Even for those familiar with his writing, these interviews give a better image of who Vonnegut was, how he saw the world around him and what he thought of his own work. These interviews are excellent.
July 17, 2021
In no way was this ‘essential’. It felt like.it was just three random interviews from this one guy.
I’m a big fan of KV, but this didn’t do much for me. Not really much content here, and the interviewer is pretty charmed by himself.
I’m a big fan of KV, but this didn’t do much for me. Not really much content here, and the interviewer is pretty charmed by himself.
November 2, 2020
I miss Vonnegut. His voice would help us make it through this election.
April 2, 2022
he comes across a touch like an asshole in bits of this, and the actual substance of the interview waxes and wanes but still definitely entertaining/interesting.
September 26, 2022
Short collection of Vonnegut interviews about his literary mindset. Beautiful and fun and inspiring to write stories with grand social critiques and yet interesting characters
May 5, 2023
It is interesting to hear his progression through time. The interviews take place over several years.
July 7, 2023
Interviews? Yes. Vonnegut? Definitely. Essential? ...eh
Not a bad listen but it seemed like a hodgepodge
Not a bad listen but it seemed like a hodgepodge
May 28, 2024
Makes me want to go back and revisit some of my Vonnegut collection since I have all of his books
January 17, 2012
Really, this was just a tease. They have 30 years worth of interviews and they only gave me one disc? I've not read a ton of Vonnegut and much of what they discussed I hadn't but it didn't matter. This man is just plain fascinating to listen to. I can't give it the 5th star because I just didn't really care for the interviewer. I don't really know him and I'm sure he's quite impressive in his own right but he came across as sort of pathetic and fawning.
June 18, 2010
3 half hour interviews spanning 3 decades! It is great if you love Vonnegut, but it is way too short to be life changing! Totally worth the time to hear him reflect on his work over the years as well as the current state of affairs in the world.
August 9, 2016
About writing.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 19 reviews