V is for Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut was a renowned American writer and satirist who was born on November 11, 1922, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was the youngest of three children and his parents were Kurt Vonnegut Sr. and Edith Vonnegut. Vonnegut attended Cornell University, where he studied biochemistry, but he left college before earning his degree to enlist in the army during World War II.

During the war, Vonnegut was captured by the Germans and held as a prisoner of war in Dresden, Germany. He survived the bombing of Dresden, which killed tens of thousands of civilians, by hiding in a meat locker underground. This experience deeply affected Vonnegut and would later influence his writing.

After the war, Vonnegut returned to the United States and began working as a journalist for various newspapers and magazines. He also began writing fiction, publishing his first novel, "Player Piano," in 1952. Over the next few decades, Vonnegut would go on to write many other novels, including "Slaughterhouse-Five," "Cat's Cradle," and "Breakfast of Champions." His works often dealt with themes of war, technology, and the human condition, and his writing style was characterized by a darkly humorous and satirical tone.

Despite his critical acclaim, Vonnegut struggled with depression and alcoholism throughout much of his life. He was also a frequent critic of American society and politics, and his outspoken views often landed him in controversy.

Vonnegut received many awards and honors throughout his career, including the National Book Award and induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He died on April 11, 2007, in New York City at the age of 84. Today, he is remembered as one of the most important and influential American writers of the 20th century.