Before enduring his stay at slaughterhouse five he was caught up in a place called the Schnee awful. Against all odds he survived both and the world was better for that.
@drigodamus
Жыл бұрын
The brain is a muscle…he had the Dwayne Johnson of brains!
@Bebtelovimab
9 ай бұрын
Powering through the emphysema
@TheSonytex
5 жыл бұрын
that "shit" was perfectly timed, perfectly said. most perfect shit i've ever seen
@frostyknickers
5 жыл бұрын
When?
@JFKHaircut
5 жыл бұрын
The most perfect shit that came out of someone's moutg
@dinkdankly
4 жыл бұрын
Almost a "Precision F-Strike", for the TVTropes-rabbit-hole-inclined.
@videodudeX
4 жыл бұрын
The man is a genius.
@AngryBrother360
4 жыл бұрын
"ABSOLUTELY!👏
@georgeovitt5443
Жыл бұрын
I saw Mr. Vonnegut give this presentation as a college student, in 1968. We laughed until we cried. That was a year when most stories were sad.
@helio2k
Жыл бұрын
Were it so dark times?
@jabrokneetoeknee6448
Жыл бұрын
@@helio2k John Kennedy and his brother Robert had both been assassinated, MLK had also been assassinated, the Vietnam war showed no signs of slowing, race riots were burning through major cities, violent clashes between students and police became regular, and corruption within the Democrat party handed the presidency to Nixon… many have argued that the late 60s was the period when the country lost its “innocence” and Americans became cynical about their government (relative to the country’s previous post-WWII optimism). It’s just one period of turbulent cultural change in America.
@shunkela
Жыл бұрын
@@jabrokneetoeknee6448 Thank you for such a good answer
@JeffreyGoddin
Жыл бұрын
I saw him give it in 1997 or so, and was glad to be able to shake his hand and thank him. Not sure all our appreciation ever reached him, sadly. But he made a deep difference in my life, and I quote this lecture often to this day in trying to explain to people how degenerate our cultural production has become.
@ericfox4655
Жыл бұрын
I saw the same @ college in 1985
@feedbackloop9960
3 жыл бұрын
that ending to the speech made me cry, the rumble in the room, all those names, remembered, and not forgotten. if this isnt nice, I dont know what is...
@edpeters6290
3 жыл бұрын
Nice of you to make this remark, thanks.
@charliekowalski7163
3 жыл бұрын
Dude the flood gates were released at that ending, wow just wow
@mraduldubey9614
2 жыл бұрын
If this comment isn't nice, I don't know what is
@BenPalmer3000
2 жыл бұрын
Me too! I never had a teacher like that, but I did have a students parent say that about me, out of the blue, right in front of my own dad, who taught me how to teach. So now I'm gonna think about that moment as "peak Ben Palmer".
@feedbackloop9960
2 жыл бұрын
@@BenPalmer3000 teacher cross our paths in many shapes, your father was a teacher to you even though it was not his profession and now you made it your calling to pass some on to kids who are not "your" kids but who you treat as though they were your own. so love grows in the world and one single act cascades into a symphony of life that even outlasts the death of the person. thank you for sharing!
@bernie4366
4 жыл бұрын
A towering intellect and titan of literature, more than happy to play the fool if that's what it takes to entertain you. So humble and deeply human it's staggering to think about.
@paytonking4673
4 жыл бұрын
how was he playing the fool?
@drewnucs5372
3 жыл бұрын
he may be human but he aint humble - humble people don't hurl insults at the rate he does. Bitter man
@paytonking4673
3 жыл бұрын
drew nucs who did he insult?
@rinnhart
3 жыл бұрын
He was a fuckin' ham bone, he was great.
@silkegehtyoutubegarnichtsa892
3 жыл бұрын
@@paytonking4673 The "windbag" Polonius, pay attention mate! ;)
@Loomismusic
5 жыл бұрын
"A true masterpiece cannot be crucified on a cross of this design"
@nuthineatholl6434
5 жыл бұрын
Certain of KV's elders in Milwaukee would no doubt have bandied-about humorously cynical adaptations of stirring catchphrases from ex-Nebraska-Congressman William Jennings Bryan's "Cross of Gold" speech delivered in Chicago in 1896. [From Wikipedia:] "In the address, Bryan supported bimetallism or 'free silver', which he believed would bring the nation prosperity. He decried the gold standard, concluding the speech, 'you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold'. Bryan's address helped catapult him to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination; it is considered one of the greatest political speeches in American history."
@johnbarber9417
4 жыл бұрын
With respect, I thought he said, “...on a cross of it’s design.”? I could be wrong. If what I heard was true, I thought it was insightful.
@spinningstatics
4 жыл бұрын
John Barber I'm certain that's what he said too, it makes more sense, and its more impactful
@gkazanjian5976
4 жыл бұрын
@@johnbarber9417 it was a play on words with a duel meaning: cross in a biblical sense (crucifixion) and cross of the 2 axes he used in his illustration. At least that's how I understood it.
@georgedaffin1654
3 жыл бұрын
@@nuthineatholl6434 Not quite good enough, however.
@rudegoat5706
5 жыл бұрын
This was funnier than most Netflix stand-up specials.
@lucasreta6625
5 жыл бұрын
oooof, those pretentious laughers that celebrated every tiny insignificant word kv said, this vid would be better of without them
@martinet1985
5 жыл бұрын
@@lucasreta6625 You are pretentious for having written that.
@jacobyoung112
5 жыл бұрын
@@martinet1985 And YOU'RE pretentious for having pointed that out. And now I'm pretentious for pointing THAT out. Let's all just sit around and huff our own farts.
@mannyorange3098
5 жыл бұрын
@Sharad Kazimi Sounds like a Catcher in The Rye reference....... Uber Pretentious
@mannyorange3098
5 жыл бұрын
Kurt Vonnegut Netflix stand up comedy special "Triggered"
@NoOne-nk5fe
5 жыл бұрын
*Sometimes KZitem recommends me very good stuff*
@marklewis4793
5 жыл бұрын
..it's kinda creepy,..but nice.
@jasonruka1665
5 жыл бұрын
YES!!!
@thicc_reap7569
5 жыл бұрын
If you haven't read his books I highly recommend them. His writing has changed my life and way of thinking in many ways
@pacopiedad6182
5 жыл бұрын
If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.
@RankusOs
5 жыл бұрын
yeah, the new algoritms are working as a charm, wonder how long it will take them to hep us alter our story and help us see more 'good news' around us, right?
@kelseybartalsky2612
3 жыл бұрын
“we don’t know enough about life to know what the good news is and what the bad news is” thanks king 🥰
@MiserableStroman
3 жыл бұрын
Such a simple yet utterly disarming statement, and it's absolutely true. Whenever I think of that sentence I come back to watch this clip :)
@dismith73
4 жыл бұрын
'Here we are, trapped in the amber of the moment. There is no why.' Kurt Vonnegut (November 11, 1922 - April 11, 2007)
@moltimondi
3 жыл бұрын
He captured the essence of human existence with those words
@tommynorthwood
5 жыл бұрын
I owe this guy a minute or two. A weekend psychiatrist let me go home from a mental hospital giving me a Kurt Vonnegut quote. "Civilization is an unnatural act."
@auntihooha
5 жыл бұрын
If you like that thought, I think you'd like his books as well...also, along the same vein: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Catch 22 and Veronica Decides to Die.
@kilgoretrout3966
5 жыл бұрын
he was right to quote, cuz Kurt was right.
@graydonb8957
5 жыл бұрын
Breakfast of Champions was really good to sums up the craziness of life.....except it started to trigger my mental illness had to keep putting it down....
@kilgoretrout3966
5 жыл бұрын
@@graydonb8957 Even though it has more whimsy, and is probably the most accessible, Breakfast of Champions is no light read, despite the sharpie drawings(Turn around, you just passed Sacred Miracle Cave!) As a person with depression myself, i totally get it. i often have to steer clear of things like this when i am mentally vulnerable. Mother Night is my favorite, but 2 weeks of depression generally follow a reading of it. Mr. Vonnegut has a gift beyond most any other author....the ability to intertwine the most awful, regrettable part of the story with such deft humor that you laugh, but then it falls away and you realize the humor works to ramp up the sense of tragedy. One of the best examples of that is in the last chapter of Mother Night. Of course all his books contain this. Slaughterhouse Five has it in spades, too. Hopefully this wont bring up anything bad for you, but i do feel compelled, given my name, to close this post with: Make me Young!
@clumsiii
5 жыл бұрын
hey tommy - when i was 13 my english teacher gave me "invisible man" by ralph ellison. No one else in the class was reading that. Sometimes we are seen for what we are by elders, they do they're best.
@SwaroopKodur234
4 жыл бұрын
After having spent more than 10 years on KZitem, I think I have finally found the perfect video.
@brownstonecustomcabinetry5309
4 жыл бұрын
Watch 4 minute lecture Professor Shutt. You can thank me later
@andrewprahst2529
4 жыл бұрын
You know, I think I need to make a top ten list for myself
@eliasowen115
3 жыл бұрын
there's a video where bjork takes apart a tv you should check it out
@richcawte
Жыл бұрын
In many years of arching KZitem and reading comments. I think I have found the perfect response to one, ( yours not mine).
@SwaroopKodur234
Жыл бұрын
@@richcawte :) :)
@aerohydra3849
4 жыл бұрын
Haha I always wondered whether Kurt Vonnegut was a happy person or not. Its so hard to tell from his books, he's so critical and cynical so much of the time but yet there's sort of crazy optimism and lighthearted humor too. Now I got my answer lol
@eastlynburkholder3559
3 жыл бұрын
I agree with you.
@lochlannturner4086
2 жыл бұрын
I think Kurt Vonnegut is a happy man ultimately. But I think that's so much more potent because he grapples so honestly with how much sadness is in life and the human condition and how he has met it first hand
@mr.t6142
Жыл бұрын
Indeed, I've pondered this as well. If you dig Vonnegut, check out Thomas C. Stuhr, 💀❤ He's the world's most underground author.
@summercoat
Жыл бұрын
He tried to commit suicide at least once, possibly more, so he was never what you’d call a happy person, as in generally happy. KV surely had happy moments, but also lots of deep abysses of dark depression too.
@laurentyler4786
Жыл бұрын
George Carlin once said that if you scratch a cynic you’ll find a disappointed idealist underneath. Maybe that quote described Vonnegut?
@vanhohenheim9249
5 жыл бұрын
he ended up his lecture in a high note just as the stories he described
@TheStanishStudios
5 жыл бұрын
Comedy follows a story shape, like any other!
@CaptainBobRockets
4 жыл бұрын
I love this man. His work influenced me throughout my life. His overall point - Don't take anything or anyone too seriously. It's your life, so live it. I was working on a stage adaptation of Breakfast of Champions many years ago and wrote to him to get his permission. He was kind enough to write back to me and signed his letter with his usual hand drawn 'asshole' signature. * I still have and will always treasure that letter!
@morpheusdamon348
3 жыл бұрын
what do you mean by asshole signature
@cptnmochi
2 жыл бұрын
@@morpheusdamon348 he used to sign off letters/essays like that.
@morpheusdamon348
2 жыл бұрын
@@cptnmochi ohh thnx
@nealalexanderarmstrong4711
2 жыл бұрын
That sounds awesome! Did you do the play?
@CaptainBobRockets
2 жыл бұрын
@@nealalexanderarmstrong4711 He explained in the letter that the rights had already been given to someone else. So it never happened. I was just thrilled to have gotten a reply from him! I just noticed your name. Cool. I did get to meet the original Neil Armstrong when I was asked to present an award to him. My dad also worked with Neil at NASA/Dryden when Neil was an X-15 pilot.
@Jesse-fk3xc
5 жыл бұрын
"nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so"
@goldeneddie
4 жыл бұрын
Nice quotation from my favourite Shakespearean play 'Hamlet'. A brilliant story!
@elfsieben1450
4 жыл бұрын
He stole it from Milton's "Paradise Lost", though: "The mind is its own place And in itself Can make a heaven of hell, A hell of heaven."
@oisingilligan9627
4 жыл бұрын
Elf Sieben Milton was zero years old when Hamlet first premiered. There are certainly similarities but it’s the other way around
@Connor-fj5rc
4 жыл бұрын
Elf Sieben Dude, Hamlet was written 58 years BEFORE Paradise Lost. Milton was 0 when Hamlet premiered. Shakespeare didn’t steal anything from Milton. In fact, Milton has said that he was influenced by Shakespeare so that line in Paradise lost is possibly inspired by Hamlet.
@JLar-bb5hl
3 жыл бұрын
A famous, but stupid quote, yes.
@jeffstone2136
5 жыл бұрын
Kurt was an unique mind, funny and cutting, but absolutely _human._
@asif_mojtoba
4 жыл бұрын
I just liked your comment, and it's the 69th like. If this isn't nice I don't now what is.
@philipgoetz8681
Жыл бұрын
If only humans were that human.
@nkenchington6575
Жыл бұрын
a unique
@MrAnonymusic
Жыл бұрын
I like how it's only towards the end of this talk that you realize he was joking about primitive stories being stupid and dead, and that in fact they too are as much a masterpiece as any masterpiece, in that they testify for the paradoxical and confusing nature of life, the mystery that evades the simple minded ideas such as good and bad news
@troyjensen8184
4 жыл бұрын
"how many of you had a teacher who made you prouder, happier to be alive than you had previously thought possible" god, i wish that were me
@ratkeller9608
4 жыл бұрын
for me it was John Connors a University Professor who was crucial in that pivotal moment that I really saw myself for the first time, as successful and positive.
@sibsbubbles
4 жыл бұрын
ain't that the truth. most of them were so wrapped up in their own egos and just looking for a paycheck that not a single one of them from CU could've even tried bullshitting that if said paycheck depended on it. that's in part why I think higher-ed is pretty fucked among many other reasons. on the outside of higher ed? thankfully I have a best friend who does that along with me more times than I would've ever believed and did it again just last Thursday. And if that isn't nice, then I really don't know what is.
@b.bailey8244
3 жыл бұрын
life's not over yet, and if you think outside the box of the educational "system," I'll bet you can think of someone in your life who helped you feel that way. College education is not the end-all, be-all.Plenty of people who don't have degrees or even high school diplomas have intellect and critical thinking skills (cabbies, bartenders, janitors often have more critical thinking skills than professors) - plus you yourself have these skills innate in your being. Imagine that!
@dbentleyto95
3 жыл бұрын
@@b.bailey8244 ❣
@ChrisNorburyAuthor
3 жыл бұрын
@@b.bailey8244 However, Vonnegut only said "teacher." Most of us inferred he was referring to someone working at a school with an education degree. To me, a teacher can be anyone who educates you in any way. I agree with you that everyone in the world has the capacity to teach someone else.
@edmundcolell8530
3 жыл бұрын
"I'm an Creative Writing major, when am I ever going to use trigonometry?" Vonnegut: "Here's how you can make stories out of sine and cosine functions."
@bldjln3158
2 жыл бұрын
The idea behind the graph was that it was an irrelevant simplification of the complex, sporadic nature of stories and how a stories are not actually based around an arch in protagonist gratification, but singular and unique ideas that convey a deeper meaning in a specific way.
@kemojoaquin
2 жыл бұрын
My liberal arts education brain: tee hee fun story time look like math wave
@monkeycarz
Жыл бұрын
Yeah, I also thought sine and cosine functions, and actually Cinderella and The Metamorphosis are kind of like tangent and cotangent. But a sine or cosine function simply presents position on a unit circle in two different dimensions,...which is just what Vonnegut has done here,...regarding story telling. It would be interesting to try to relate a novel to hyperbolic functions. Maybe it would be a good idea to try to design a novel to do so. Keep in mind the unit circle is x^2 + y^2 =1 while the unit hyperbola is x^2-y^2 = 1. If the classic story relates to the former equation as Vonnegut states, then how will it be different using the latter equation?
@Melancholyhills
5 жыл бұрын
And so it goes.
@plasticweapon
5 жыл бұрын
and so on.
@kilgoretrout3966
5 жыл бұрын
and so forth. Listen: i am glad you typed that. :)
@TheBadMadPanda
5 жыл бұрын
This slipped into my daily vocab so quickly
@sedditguy1836
4 жыл бұрын
like the river flows
@grayson5812
4 жыл бұрын
Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. RIP Kurt Vonnegut and the heavy role he still plays on my life to this day, and remember: If you would be unloved and forgotten, be reasonable.
@hay_bail1
3 жыл бұрын
The way he cued the music! This felt like a scene from Dead Poets Society and I lived for every moment of it.
@eye1726
5 жыл бұрын
"she's so heavily made up that her relatives don't recognize her"
@faithabern7979
4 жыл бұрын
Daniel Malikov Don’t you remember the name of the movie? I would be so thankful, if you could share it! 😊
@faithabern7979
4 жыл бұрын
@@DanielMalikov thank you sooo much!
@s.j7423
3 жыл бұрын
@@DanielMalikov thank you :]
@juainott5281
3 жыл бұрын
Instagram type of stuff, sheilas Already got tons of make up yet they dare, have the audacity to use filters. Oh my gawd
@leonov1965
5 жыл бұрын
I saw Vonnegut do this in the 1980's at the University of Michigan. I still think about the graph when dealing with life's ups and downs.
@johnknox1537
5 жыл бұрын
Dean! I was there too! And as I watched this I said the same thing. It was in the late 70s!
@wmascolin
5 жыл бұрын
John Knox small world. Now kiss?
@idontgetlaidbut
5 жыл бұрын
@@wmascolin that would be gay. Nobody wants that.
@leonov1965
5 жыл бұрын
@@johnknox1537 Hi John, Thanks for the corrected time period. I see Vonnegut had an anthropology degree, which not only informed this talk but probably the rest of his writing, I'm sure. Hope you are doing well!
@ericdfox33
4 жыл бұрын
I attended the same talk in 1986 as a freshman at Radford University. I skipped classes the rest of the day and read Slaughterhouse Five cover to cover. What a brilliant introduction to genius and freedom. I have enthusiastically told the story of this lecture to many people over the years. Thanks Kurt!
@BASEDBOARD
5 жыл бұрын
4:11 is the funniest joke he told. "missionaries, ethnographers, and other types of imperialists."
@BASEDBOARD
5 жыл бұрын
funny and insightful i should say
@RogerBarraud
5 жыл бұрын
Maybe...
@jonesmike53
5 жыл бұрын
Adro Gman it IS ! Typical Vonnegut magic, sly, wise, funny and disposably whimsical.
@user-te7cy3zz2n
5 жыл бұрын
unfortunately no one in the audience got this one
@biofori
5 жыл бұрын
@@user-te7cy3zz2n apparently we did;)
@bluetoad2668
2 жыл бұрын
I attended a lecture by him in about 1991 in London, afterwards I had the honour of meeting him and exchanging a few words, I had read everything he'd published just about. He's the only hero of mine I have ever met.
@jonathanperkins69
2 жыл бұрын
This seems like one of those few cases where “Never meet your hero” does not apply.
@marcdeckard7064
Жыл бұрын
I have never met him but I carry part of him with me in my humor.
@NiMz849
4 жыл бұрын
he's so comfortably and effortlessly himself that he couldn't stop the outpour of his knowledge and humor.
@mikealexander2005
2 жыл бұрын
I think Kurt was the most human any human being has ever been
@itomba
5 жыл бұрын
Our modern day Mark Twain! Forgot how much they even look alike.
@valdeezycleaver
5 жыл бұрын
Holy shit. You're right.
@eddyfree33
4 жыл бұрын
Quite possibly Vonnegut is Twain reincarnated. If you entertain such concepts. For your consideration; Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) died in 1910, and Vonnegut was born in 1922. Both born in November and died in April, following a flyby of Halley’s Comet. Vonnegut and Twain were both from the midwest, Indiana, and Missouri, respectively. They were both heavy smokers. Both were fascinated by science and technology and wrote about time travel with Vonnegut's most notable being Slaughterhouse 5. Twain wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. Each was a master of satire and subtle pun. Each writer gave us a story centered around the earth equator, Galapagos and Following the Equator. Both were ardent anti-imperialists. Twain becoming so in later life. They both suffered from depression and lived many of their final years in Manhattan, New York.
@erestube
4 жыл бұрын
@@eddyfree33 That comment is as good as the video!
@eddyfree33
4 жыл бұрын
erestube thank you for those kind words. I had the honor and pleasure of attending one of Mr.Vonneguts crash courses at Rutgers. If ever i become unstuck in time, I wish to return to that classroom for an extended lesson.
@dismith73
4 жыл бұрын
@@eddyfree33 Thank you for this interesting information :)
@grayson5812
4 жыл бұрын
"Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt." RIP Kurt Vonnegut and the heavy role he still plays on my life to this day, and remember: "If you would be unloved and forgotten, be reasonable."
@jaywalker.
8 ай бұрын
Wow.
@johnstuercke3438
Жыл бұрын
I went through HS thinking reading was a chore. In college a friend loaned me Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions and the book changed my life.
@ricardoestrella3088
Жыл бұрын
Same book that changed my life as well.
@eanayac
3 жыл бұрын
07:15 Best Kafka’s Metamorphosis review I’ve ever seen!!!
@takieddineferrag8950
5 жыл бұрын
what a genius, kurt vonnegut has come unstuck in time
@usernametaken2tekken
4 жыл бұрын
Taki Ferrag coming unstuck in time. What a wonderful line!
@punkisinthedetails1470
4 жыл бұрын
A masterclass in comedic timing.
@JakeyFlakey100
4 жыл бұрын
@@usernametaken2tekken Kurt & Billy Pilgrim (look it up)
@jordannietos
3 жыл бұрын
From the amber
@lisagreen-cudek9735
Жыл бұрын
He left us with laughter and wisdom and then Vonnegut danced off the stage!
@dustyangelzm2440
Жыл бұрын
To be exact, he WALZED off the stage 😉
@vantrickpaughney3830
4 жыл бұрын
"Why is she so low? Well her mother's died." *malicious grin*
@acitizen5186
5 жыл бұрын
I heard him give this talk at MIT in the mid 1980s. It's nice to be able to hear it again. I remember the same "Beginning and.... Entropy!" joke back then.
@johnnyvinchenzo
3 жыл бұрын
Essential viewing for anyone who has to make a decision, or wants to understand anything...
@xmariner
2 ай бұрын
I was so lucky to see him do this lecture at Randolph Macon as a High School Class trip in 1983. I am so blessed. and I tell everyone who doesn't care and I think Kurt would approve.
@NP-fh7or
Жыл бұрын
After reading Kurt for many many years since childhood, that felt like watching a Great Uncle give a presentation and based on the feel of the audience, they all felt the same way - a true sign of Kurts reach. That sign off brought a lump to my throat. The master of social dystrophy ending with the most valuable lesson on happiness. And so it goes....RIP to the best!
@forestsoceansmusic
5 жыл бұрын
Kurt Vonnegut: great man. The greatest describer of the positive possibilities for humanity, and someone who was never scared to challenge sacred cows, not just in Religion, but in 'History' and 'Sociology' too.
@oldjack-mi8gk
5 жыл бұрын
Indeed. But loved the Sermon on the Mount.
@janosk8392
4 жыл бұрын
My hands are up.
@kbarnes6108
3 жыл бұрын
I play this for my 9th grade ELA students as they prepare to start their narrative unit. His humor makes them realize that they have nothing to fear.
@noahhertzman7999
Жыл бұрын
That's great but the denigration of Native American stories by a famous author is not something that High Schoolers need to hear. I hope you at least criticize that part of the lecture in front of them.
@so-tz8lp
Жыл бұрын
@@noahhertzman7999 lmao
@o.steinman3855
Жыл бұрын
@@noahhertzman7999 He says Shakespeare was just as bad about five minutes later. I don’t think he was being serious lol
@louisnguyen6610
3 жыл бұрын
3:06 “oh BOY, this is my lucky day! --- shit..”
@Decentralized_Maze
Жыл бұрын
I clicked because of the title. I gave Kurt/the video a chance, because he made me laugh in the beginning. I continued watching because of wanting to hear the overall point(s). Then finished the video with amazement that: 1) a nearly 18 minute video was finished before I realized it, 2) its topic, presenter and points were unexpected, 3) ended on a wonderful note (teacher sharing moment), 4) he kept me interested the entire time and smiling, & 5) points valid throughout and presentation memorable.
@JerseyMiller
4 жыл бұрын
I love this man. Have read every single one of his novels and much of his other work. He has both hardened an softened my soul. He is my favorite author.
@marchodgkinson
Жыл бұрын
Saw this lecture in Stratford, Ontario in 1994. I was riveted and remember it well. Laughed at every joke and still teach this story structure to my students to this day.
@canadianhappyinitalytruest6556
Жыл бұрын
This balance of irritation and genius and generosity of intellect is amazing. He was an Amazing communicator
@jameseenacoene7680
2 жыл бұрын
I was a teacher. I hope to God that one of my students raised a hand. I had two high school and one elementary , and one junior high teacher that made me love Science and English.
@MADCITYSTUDIOS
5 жыл бұрын
Reading his stories in middle school were very memorable, Harrison Bergeron was such a cool story. Even as a little kid you could appreciate how deep that story was.
@glammer
5 жыл бұрын
My first was Cat's Cradle. I gave it to a friend and we became big fans. I recently gave it to my friend's son. It's our wampeter.
@FaCiSmFTW
5 жыл бұрын
that story slaps
@RollingOrmond
5 жыл бұрын
Met Vonnegut outside the Will Rogers Follies in 1991 with my dad. He got to tell him his favorite novel of his was Player Piano.
@bubbercakes528
4 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful person. He is one of the few authors whose works I intentionally did not read back to back so I could lengthen my time with his greatness. He is sorely missed.
@haynescommabrooke
9 ай бұрын
I watched this for the first time several years ago before reading any Vonnegut and was stunned and thought I really needed to check his work out. Life got in the way and it took me a minute. Now I rewatched this after finally reading Slaughterhouse Five a month ago, and I loved it even more than ever. Kurt’s writing and essence has really deeply changed my life. What a legend. RIP to one of the greatest minds ever (“as far as we know”, he might say) ❤️
@rachelbhall
Жыл бұрын
I love him so much, my personal hero. Every time he speaks, or I read his work, it’s like sitting with an old friend.
@adandap
5 жыл бұрын
"Nothing's good or bad but thinking makes it so."
@chicawhappa
5 жыл бұрын
so true
@alfjones6377
5 жыл бұрын
So if i slapped you, unprovoked..
@alfjones6377
5 жыл бұрын
How will you judge that action?
@chicawhappa
5 жыл бұрын
@@alfjones6377 that you're a madman? Lol 😊 social contract and lame jokes apart, I can totally choose to feel nothing but remove myself away from you physically, or laugh at your madness; or feel pity and compassion for the same, or get affronted and feed my ego "how dare he, or get in rage and hit you back. 😊 all my choice how I think and feel about an external event 😊
@Ruby-eq1qg
3 жыл бұрын
@@alfjones6377 If he's a masochist he'll thank you for it
@PoppyB2011
3 жыл бұрын
I miss him so much. I believe that the day he died (I wept) that the human condition changed. People started moving opposite of the way they once were, writers, men, people, like him started to die out with him. It was a sad end of an era. It has only become worse since. He was a beautifully raw and honest man. He is terribly missed. Everyone needs to read him.
@craigramsay53
5 жыл бұрын
My hero, favourite author, and subject of my Honours English thesis more than a few years ago. RIP Kurt.
@rodkvic9513
5 жыл бұрын
Just watching this now didn't know he passed... so sorry 😓
@modernchampionmusic81
5 жыл бұрын
Me too except it was a high school English paper comparing Evelyn Waughs Men at Arms and Vonneguts Slaughterhouse 5
@jx14aby
5 жыл бұрын
And he ghost wrote papers for Thornton Melon at Grand Lakes University.
@benjammin6692
5 жыл бұрын
Where to begin?
@allwheeldrive
Жыл бұрын
The first time I read him was in high school, more than 45 years ago. It floored me. Vonnegut was one of the most brilliant, aware, honest writers this era. I've read (I think!), now, everything he's written. And I feel a better person for it. Thank you for posting this.
@hasan7275
5 жыл бұрын
OH MY GOD I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF FINDING THIS FUCKING GOD OF LITERATURE SPEAKING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT AND JUST HOLY SHIT MAN KURT VONNEGUT THE GOAT
@robertrishel3685
5 жыл бұрын
I love Vonnegut...the first serious book I read as a child was Breakfast of Champions which was a real eye opener for a 10 year old boy.
@cyfertau1975
5 жыл бұрын
"If this isnt nice, i dont know what is." I just had this moment after watching this video. Thank you for upload!
@StonyRC
5 жыл бұрын
What a wise Man. His chuckles as he faces the chalkboard and recounts each story are PRICELESS and finishing with the "shape" of Hamlet brings his entire point to a wonderful conclusion.
@lutingh
5 жыл бұрын
how can someone be so wise and charming!
@Abraxas9100
4 жыл бұрын
He suffered.
@rizzle9943
4 жыл бұрын
This is 1000 times better than any TEDx, both on the entertainement and information levels
@drtimoshea4087
Жыл бұрын
so is a soap commercial
@alexkagman
5 жыл бұрын
From all the Kilgore Trouts in the world, Thank you Mr. Vonnegut, it's been an honor and a pleasure. Rest In Peace.
@rahnumaahmad9711
5 жыл бұрын
I didn't understand all of it but it was nice listening to him. :)
@vincentanguoni8938
5 жыл бұрын
Ditto here!
@TheMadGod
2 жыл бұрын
Oof
@twilfits
Жыл бұрын
Growing up I was stunned knowing Vonnegut was listed in the phone book. What trust in human nature." If this isn't nice Idk what is." 👍👍
@Hot4Thot
2 ай бұрын
This man was a POW in WW2 and subsiquently lived through The Bombing of Dresden, one of The Allies greatest crimes during the war. He went on to teach writing, made a career out of short stories, then novels, and raised a family which included children he adopted. I'd love to have met him, so it goes
@deeliciousplum
Ай бұрын
Priceless Vonnegut. Loved his writing in my early reading years. Then, loved his talks in my latter years. A gem. 🌸
@DennisMoore664
5 жыл бұрын
There are some great minds and talents out there, but do we have anyone like this now that he's gone? Not an easily replaced individual, this one.
@captainkev10
5 жыл бұрын
Yes. Her name is E.L. James.
@DennisMoore664
5 жыл бұрын
@@captainkev10 If you are referring to the E.L. James who wrote the 50 shades series than I just don't... I mean... what?
@chrissirhc7337
5 жыл бұрын
@Tom Upton bwahahahaha . funniest thing ive heard all week
@rickrobertbob
5 жыл бұрын
Why do you want the same thing over again?
@cannabiscupjudge
5 жыл бұрын
We don't replace great individuals, we either build on their achievements or ignore them.
@panther105
5 жыл бұрын
You don't get the label of genius by your adoring public and peers for no reason... Thank you for saving this for us.....
@jackester6742
Жыл бұрын
Kurt Vonnegut was a rare treasure of a human.
@mountain62
4 жыл бұрын
Saw him do this in person while at Virginia Tech in 1984. I was inspired and it left a lifelong memory - loved his humor and wisdom. The Kafka trajectory always makes me laugh.
@lesgoe8908
5 жыл бұрын
Kurt V. was the first of my personal literary "holy trinity" I discovered starting Senior year of high school. He was the first writer I had ever read that was actually a pleasure to read (sorry, Herman Melville). This lecture made me fall in love with him all over again.
@das9636
2 жыл бұрын
And the other two??
@tommcmahon3200
5 жыл бұрын
"Ah, there's an interesting story behind this nickel. In 1957, I remember it was, I got up in the morning and made myself a piece of toast. I set the toaster to three: medium brown." - Kurt Vonnegut
@jjandorliadul
5 жыл бұрын
Gimmen 5 bees for a quarter you'd say!
@frigginjerk
5 жыл бұрын
In those days, Shelbyville was called Morganville.
@jameswaters3939
Жыл бұрын
I saw this lecture on his tour. How the Nobel committee didn't award him the award in literature is, to me, content for a story. He did receive much acclaim, rightfully so, but remained humble and hilarious. He is my favorite author of the modern era. Jersy Kozcsinski was very gifted also.
@logicalfallacy234
Жыл бұрын
His view on Hamlet is actually one of the key differences, if not THE key difference, between genre fiction and literary fiction! Literary fiction doesn't tell you whether something good or bad has happened. Stuff just happened, and the stuff that happens is all kinds of a mix of good and bad. Genre fiction is plot driven, and works on a level where the audience NEEDS to know whether what has happened is good or bad. I guess this is why Kurt Vonneguts stuff is considered literature, not science fiction. The literature label is still something other classic sci fi authors like the Big Three of Heinlan, Asimov, and Clarke haven't achieved (which George RR Martin has complained about), and is absolutely why stuff like Harry Potter, Stephen King, Star Wars, and Marvel movies are looked down upon by some/a lot of people.
@MrBLAA
Жыл бұрын
What a wonderful man; what a wonderful presentation. I find myself usually leaving only negative comments (on video)… because that “good ones”, I never feel to mention their _goodness_ This was a good video. And, if this isn’t happiness, I don’t know what is🤙
@SeanvanDoornum
Жыл бұрын
That was great. I love his last point. Good teachers are such an invaluable thing in this world. In my opinion, if you're not actively engaged in and passionate about the thing that you're teaching then it's just a job. And if it's just a job then you're robbing someone of the joy of curiosity in life. I have been a Music teacher for a good part of my life. And to see the curiosity and wonder on a student's face, and to feel the electricity that discovering the magic of creativity brings is worth more than anything money can buy. And the good news is ... we are ALL teachers! In one way or another.
@duncant6364
Жыл бұрын
Somehow this is the first time I’ve ever actually listened to Vonnegut talk. I’m from Indianapolis, so he’s very much an icon, but I’ve only read, never heard
@EzeICE
3 жыл бұрын
"Thank you Bill" lmaoooo I don't know why but that made me crack up like crazy 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@mortalclown3812
Жыл бұрын
Dude brings the holy without a drop of hubris. What an utterly delightful human. Basing some of that on his remarks about loving animals. Thanks for the upload.
@djl8710
5 жыл бұрын
This is the best Mark Twain video!
@jaredfrost3548
4 жыл бұрын
I was thinking the same >.
@cptnmochi
2 жыл бұрын
Ifjahdh
@cmclaren7
Жыл бұрын
Developing a habit of noticing the good things in our lives is something every parent needs to teach their children and it needs to be reinforced in schools. What made you happy today? What will make you happy tomorrow? It's important.
@brookespears2266
Жыл бұрын
I love this guy. His writing is just next level. It changed my whole way of thinking and seeing the world
@snidepete5700
5 жыл бұрын
For those who didn't know yet: Kurt wrote a mess of Very Good Novels. I advise you to find them and read 'em all!
@chiralhead7577
4 жыл бұрын
i have many teachers who makes me feel more alive,happier than i was earlier and you are now one of them too
@versetripn6631
Жыл бұрын
Stopped here after rewatching 'Back to School'. This event was held on my Bday. I just uttered the name "Frank Meuers"...to myself. Half of my 6th Grade year was in his Homeroom class. 2/3 of that time I spent alienating myself as I'd done in four other schools. Something about Self-Esteem. I still don't possess this ability. For one small moment after running side-by side with Mr M to open a Track and Field relay of students vs Teachers, just one moment...my peers didn't dislike me. I didn't dislike myself, nor them, or even Mr M. His legs moved, making my legs MOVE. The rest of that day is a fogbank. 37 years later, I can now say that day was a good one! Thank you Frank!
@08pixiedust
Жыл бұрын
He would definitely be an answer to one of those imaginary dinner party guest questions. I just love him and his writing.
@shubhambaidya6126
5 жыл бұрын
Legend has it... If you'd bump into him... You could see knowledge fall off him...
@kilgoretrout3966
5 жыл бұрын
i wonder if he is buried in Ilium.
@johnqdarwin
4 жыл бұрын
i love that . xx
@edpeters6290
3 жыл бұрын
I may have seen him, Eastside, midtown, not a bump exactly, but will try to remember any knowledge that might have fallen if only . . .well he WAS among the produce!
@cate1657
5 жыл бұрын
This is a man who knows about real power. What a treat to get to see him after reading so many of his novels in the late-Sixties. Thank you, Eva Collins Alonso, for posting this.
@glenmchargue5461
Жыл бұрын
Mr. John Van Niel and Marty Dodge. You helped me realize that learning/education can be woven into the fabric of your life. It isn't just an outside obligation needed to ascend the next ladder rung. And it can be really wonderful and not just an ego crushing burden. I don't currently work in "my field" and I'm definitely not financially well off but I wouldn't trade my education for anything. Thanks to all of the teachers that communicate more than what is just in the syllabus.
@tapiwamatsika4063
2 жыл бұрын
Its my first time seeing Kurt and i love this
@b.bailey8244
3 жыл бұрын
one of the best human beings that ever lived; his stories followed the Shakespeare, Twain, and "primitive" model outlined on the board, and he always told the truth. Hearing/seeing/ reading truth is like finally having an abscessed tooth treated or pulled, and you're relieved from all that pain.
@Scitzowicz
5 жыл бұрын
Brilliant guy - fantastic hair *
@RogerBarraud
5 жыл бұрын
Twainesque.
@markbarberami
5 жыл бұрын
One has to love the hair.
@narwhal5447
4 жыл бұрын
he looks like Einstien when he's writing on the board
@davidcopson5800
4 жыл бұрын
@@narwhal5447 I've never seen Einstein writing on the board.
@narwhal5447
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidcopson5800. that's because you're still Alive
@koig8393
Жыл бұрын
Para los que estan leyendo subtitulos, en el minuto 3:56 los subtitulos dicen "gente curiosa" pero el realmente dijó "gente primitiva" haciendo referencia a sus estudios en antropologia
@marcvega9954
Жыл бұрын
absolute gems here
@cerclesvicieux
5 жыл бұрын
I really love & appreciate this post. It was invaluable to me while I was majoring in literature & creative writing in college and is invaluable to me even now.
@notthedroidyourelookingfor8056
5 жыл бұрын
I'm thinking of pursuing a similar major and i'm curious, where has your major led you to now??
@m1xedp1ckle
4 жыл бұрын
I'm studying slaughterhouse 5 now. Super interesting
@TheGoldenCapstone
4 жыл бұрын
@@notthedroidyourelookingfor8056 mine led to marketing copywriting and user experience writing for websites.
@schmitzfrance
5 жыл бұрын
that was a pleasant little gem! Thanks uploader!
@fstopPhotography
Жыл бұрын
Since I wasn't in the room at the time he asked about a teacher that made me happier to be alive and made history a very real part of my life. That teacher is Mr Macky. Harrison High School, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1979-80. American History, "How The West Was Won." Thank you Mr Macky, you changed my life. Truly.
@cptnmochi
2 жыл бұрын
If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is. Rest easy KV. ❤️
Пікірлер