Happy Birthday to Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) November 11 One of the most distinctive American voices of the 20th century, Kurt Vonnegut blended satire, science fiction, and dark humor to question everything from war to free will. His writing—part tragicomedy, part moral fable—helped readers see the absurdity of modern life while holding on to compassion for its flawed participants. I first read Slaughterhouse-Five in ninth grade, and it changed how I thought about storytelling. Later, in high school, I made a deal with my German teacher: I’d stay quiet in the back of the room reading—so long as I stuck to German authors. Vonnegut, thankfully, snuck through the loophole. In a career that spanned over fifty years, he published fourteen novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of nonfiction. Slaughterhouse-Five, inspired by his experience as a WWII POW who survived the firebombing of Dresden, remains his most celebrated and haunting work. ‘We are here on Eart...