New letter to Vonnegut's publisher

So it's just about the end of finals week. Thrilling.

It's Thursday, and I just had my first two exams today. Early British Lit, then Shakespeare. Dominated both. No problem.

Except that once or twice in my essays I brought in a new idea in the last paragraph. Not always good. But still, they went well.

I'm taking a minute out from a bad philosophy paper to post this. I figured I should since Christmas break is coming up, and I won't be around for a few weeks.

I might post from my parents' house, I guess. We'll see.

Here's the latest on life:

I have a new letter to Vonnegut's publisher. It appears at the end of the post. Let me know what you think. I really tried to make it easier to read. I took Paul Storti's recommendation to heart--at least, partially--and made it as attention-getting as I could. Well, okay, not as attention-getting as I could, but much more than before.

Next semester I'm taking 13 credit hours, and 3 of those are for the thesis, meaning no class time. So give me suggestions on what to do with my time.

I haven't done any Christmas shopping. Except I bought a gift for Teresa on the Internet. I'm lazy and shameful.

I believe that's all. Might not see you until early January.

Love,

Steve


THE LETTER TO VONNEGUT'S PUBLISHER:


Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou com’st in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee.

William Shakespeare, Hamlet Act I, Scene 4.

Dear Sir or Madam:

The University of Dayton will offer the mini-course “Themes in the Novels of Kurt Vonnegut” next fall. In it, students will read three to five of Mr. Vonnegut’s novels and discuss the common themes, character motivations, and meanings.

I, an undergraduate English major, will teach the course. I chose to teach this course to fulfill my required undergraduate thesis, and it is a great joy to spread the word of my favorite author.

I have all of the research I could find on Mr. Vonnegut’s work—Jerome Klinkowitz, of course; Donald E. Morse’s The Novels of Kurt Vonnegut; Stanley Schatt’s Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.; and others. I have read every novel, and have chosen several—Cat’s Cradle, Mother Night, Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, and Bluebeard, among others—to focus on in the class.

That isn’t enough for me. I feel I could learn more about Mr. Vonnegut’s novels, themes, and philosophy if I spoke with him in person. For this reason, I am writing to request a personal interview with Mr. Vonnegut at his convenience between March 10 and March 19 or during the summer of 2006 (after May 8).

If Mr. Vonnegut agrees, the University of Dayton Honors Program would fund my trip to New York. I would appreciate any time Mr. Vonnegut could afford to discuss his works and his ideas.

As a member of the American youth, Mr. Vonnegut’s traditional audience, I firmly believe I am in the best position to respond to Robert Sterling Wilson’s question, “Who’s gonna pick up the torch when everybody’s dead?” I think an interview with Mr. Vonnegut would provide great help in this endeavor.

Thank you,

Steve Weishampel

It's been far too long.

Okay, I know it's been a while since I've posted.

What have you missed?

Nothing.

I get home Saturday, December 17. Come over.

I just watched the movie version of Mother Night, which is of course a Kurt Vonnegut novel. It was really really good. I never cared for Nick Nolte, but he was an awesome Campbell. John Goodman was Frank Wirtanen, the Blue Fairy Godmother. And they changed very little, which I generally like to see in movie versions of books.

Vonnegut had a cameo as a face in the crowd. If anyone else knows Mother Night, it was in the scene where Campbell just stops and stands still on a city sidewalk. A bunch of different people walked by him, with several different faces in the camera for several seconds, and Vonnegut was one of them.

But I don't think the movie will make the class. Not quite.

I don't have any exams until Thursday. Thursday I have two exams and a paper due, and Friday I have a test.

I don't really have anything else to say.

Next up for the blog is definitely that review of Jason's cell phone. I don't think he reads the blog, but that doesn't really change things. He hit a new low that Tony told me about this weekend, so I'll have to share that with you.

Auf wiedersehen.