Kurt Vonnegut

It's entirely possible that, were it not for Joe Satriani, I never would have read a Kurt Vonnegut novel. But in 10th grade, I thought Joe Satriani was the bee's knees, he had a song called "Ice 9", I learned that Ice 9 was a thing from a Kurt Vonnegut book called Cat's Cradle, I needed a book to read for my English project... and if this were a proper memoir, a lifelong appreciation of Kurt Vonnegut would have been born. Didn't happen. I read Cat's Cradle and another one besides, but that's been it.

I did, however, gain an appreciation for Vonnegut's biting quotes, such as: "I have been a soreheaded occupant of a file drawer labeled 'Science Fiction' ... and I would like out, particularly since so many serious critics mistake the drawer for a urinal."

And the day after he died, my Google quote gadget served up this one: "If flying-saucer creatures or angels or whatever were to come here in a hundred years, say, and find us gone like the dinosaurs, what might be a good message for humanity to leave for them, maybe carved in great big letters on a Grand Canyon wall? Here is this old poop's suggestion: WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE SAVED OURSELVES, BUT WERE TOO DAMNED LAZY TO TRY VERY HARD..."