Top Picks: Kurt Vonnegut, the 100th Anniversary of His Birth

The great American writer was born November 11, 1922 in Indianapolis. He attended Cornell University and studied anthropology at the University of Chicago. He enlisted in the Army during World War II, an experience which informed his writing of the best-selling anti-war novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, Or, The Children's Crusade.

Ryan North and Albert Monteys created a graphic novel adaptation of Slaughterhouse-Five. The evocative illustrations depict the events of the book, including the bombing of Dresden, which Vonnegut survived as a prisoner of war in Germany. 

First published in 1963, Cat's Cradle is a dark satire with science fiction elements. The main character is writing a book about the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. During his research he travels to a Caribbean island where he discovers a religion called Bokononism. “If you find your life tangled up with somebody else’s life for no very logical reasons,” writes the prophet Bokonon, “that person may be a member of your karass,” a team of seemingly unrelated people who unknowingly come together to do god’s will. In the course of his travels, our narrator meets the members of his karass and their purpose is revealed to be one that is disastrous to the earth. Cat’s Cradle is a funny and thought-provoking read that will leave you wondering, who is in your karass? 

Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time is filmmaker Robert Weide’s loving tribute to the life and work of the famed author. Completed in 2022, Weide began the documentary almost 40 years ago and formed a close friendship with Vonnegut over the decades. It includes multiple interviews with the author and his family, as well as visits to his homes on Cape Cod and New York City and incredible footage going back to Vonnegut's childhood in 1920s Indianapolis. 

Do you have a favorite Vonnegut book? Let us know in the comments.