Kurt Vonnegut in 1990 (Photo by Don Cochrane) During his lifetime, Kurt Vonnegut always felt unappreciated -- much like his fictional alter-ego, Kilgore Trout in "Breakfast of Champions." The literary establishment may have looked down its nose at him, but Vonnegut's fans in the counterculture considered him a prophet and visionary, a humanist who used his absurdist novels and stories to try to make sense of a universe that seemed random and absurd. Born on November 11, 1922, Vonnegut's life was indeed full of randomness and absurdity. His mother committed suicide on Mother's Day, 1944. Some years later, within days of each other, his brother-in-law was killed in a horrific train accident and his sister Alice died of cancer. During World War II, he was held as a P.O.W. in a slaughterhouse during the Dresden firestorm, an experience that he worked into his celebrated novel "Slaughterhouse Five." After the war, he worked in a string of odd professions that included managing the first Saab dealership in the United States. In a graphic sense, Vonnegut's life was his work. In such novels as "Cat's Cradle," "Mother Night," and the short story collection, "Welcome to the Monkey House," Vonnegut explored the way humans retain their humanity even in the face of uncontrollable and catastrophic events. His concerns -- dehumanizing technology, the need for connection under mindless bureaucracy and violence -- mark him as one of the 20th century's great humanist writers. Suggested Sites... Vonnegut.com - official site, dedicated to Kurt Vonnegut's life, works, and philosophy. Kurt Vonnegut Quotes - quotes by Vonnegut from his writings and interviews. The Vonnegut Web - critical bibliography and an in-depth summary of Vonnegut's life. Vonnegut Art Works - drawings and paintings by Kurt Vonnegut

Directory categories: Kurt Vonnegut, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing, 20th Century People, World War II Prisoners of War, Humanism

Archived under: Authors, Biographies, Birthdays, Counterculture, Fiction, Literature, Science Fiction, Writers, Writing

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Ross in his prime. You wouldn't think a guy with hair like that would be such a cultural icon. In the 1920s, only one American city was the center of art and commerce: New York. And in that city, only one magazine kept track of it all: "The New Yorker." And in that magazine, only one person mattered: founder and editor Harold Ross. Ross was born November 6, 1892, in Aspen, Colorado, and soon developed printer's ink in his blood. By 13, he had dropped out of school to work at the Denver Post, and by 25 he had worked for six other newspapers, from San Francisco to Atlanta. During World War I, Ross' talents got him a job in Paris, editing the Army newspaper, "Stars and Stripes." His fellow staff members included drama critic Alexander Woollcott and New York columnist Franklin P. Adams -- both of whom would go on to play roles in Ross' plans. After the war, he settled in Manhattan, where he worked on those plans -- to create a weekly magazine that would analyze, comment on, and play a role in the cultural life of the city. It would not, Ross insisted, be a magazine for "the old lady in Dubuque." It would be sophisticated and urbane -- but not snobby. It had standards, but if a reader was witty or informed enough, he or she would be a member of the club. In the depths of the winter of 1925, the first issue of "The New Yorker" rolled off the presses. Despite some glitches, such as a joke ("Pop: A man who thinks he can make it in par. Johnny: What's an optimist, Pop?") that ran with the set-up and punchline reversed -- a error reprinted in every anniversary issue for years -- the magazine was an instant hit. In the decades since, it has come to be considered the gold standard of American magazines. That respect is due almost entirely to Ross. He personally edited virtually every word that appeared in every issue until his death in 1951, and, despite his own poor spelling, his meticulousness for precise grammar, clarity, and good writing attracted such notables as Vladimir Nabokov, John Updike, Ernest Hemingway, John Hersey, Ann Beattie, John Cheever, Roald Dahl, Alice Munro, John O'Hara, Philip Roth, J.D. Salinger, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Irwin Shaw, Woody Allen, James Thurber, E.B. White (whose own prose style was crucial in setting the magazine’s voice and tone), and even Marlon Brando. But the literary aspect of "The New Yorker" was only part of the package. Each issue was filled with cartoons by artists like Charles Addams, Peter Arno, George Booth, Roz Chast, George Price, Saul Steinberg, William Steig, and Thurber again. So good were (and are) the cartoons, that many readers never get past them and are still satisfied they got their money’s worth. Despite Woollcott describing him as looking like "a dishonest Abe Lincoln," Ross' contributions to the culture of Manhattan and America are impossible to calculate. His sensibilities shaped the ways plays were written, movies received, and books were published, and it's almost impossible to imagine American -- and world -- culture without him. Suggested Sites... Wikipedia: Harold Ross - overview of Ross' life and career. The New Yorker - bringing the world to New York -- and vice versa -- since 1925. The New Yorker Cartoon Bank - pretty near every cartoon ever seen in the magazine, yours for the asking. Harold Wallace Ross - biography of The New Yorker's founder. Harold Ross: The History - the BBC takes a look at Ross and his magazine.

Directory categories: Harold Ross, The New Yorker, E.B. White, Magazines, Manhattan

Archived under: 1920s, Authors, Biographies, Birthdays, Cartoons, Journalism, Literature, Magazines, Media, New York, Society and Culture, The New Yorker

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Writers hold a "midnight write" to kick off NaNoWriMo. (Photo by Megan Myers) Writers, boot up your laptops! November is National Novel Writing Month, or "NaNoWriMo" to the initiated. The idea is that with the right combination of drive and discipline, anyone can crank out a 175-page novel over the course of a month. A group of writers in San Francisco organized the first NoWriMo in 1999, and since then the event has snowballed into a national (if niche) phenomenon. Interestingly, the project isn’t for pen and paper. To be an official participant, you have to submit your manuscript electronically in order to have the length verified by word-count software. It should be noted that people were keeping tabs on words long before machines made it easy to do so. Ernest Hemingway famously wrote 500 words a day. This marathon of writing events begs the question: Can you really write a good novel in 30 days? Well, it doesn't have to be Proust; it just has to be 50,000 words. The event organizers are the first to admit that writing done in this manner isn't the stuff of masterpieces. They say -- and I quote -- "You will be writing a lot of crap." To them, it's more about the process. And like the marathon, not everyone finishes. According to the site, last year 120,000 participants signed on at the beginning of the month, but only 20,000 people completed their pieces by midnight on November 30, the official deadline. Suggested Sites... National Novel Writing Month - the official site of the event's organizers. Word Count Tool - start generating your official word count with an online tool. National Novel Writing Month for Homeschoolers - learn how to incorporate National Novel Writing Month into homeschooling lessons. About.com: How to Organize a NaNoWriMo Write-In - tips on how to mobilize a writing group for the big event. Essortment's Strategies for Overcoming Writer's Block - offers a few exercises to help your creative juices flow.

Directory categories: Literature, Creative Writing, Literature Events, Authors, San Francisco

Archived under: Arts, Authors, Books, Events, Fanatics, Literature, San Francisco, Writing

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Martian tripod in Woking, England, site of the initial invasion in H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" (Photo by Nick Richards) In today's hyperkinetic speed of the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, the life of a hoax lasts only as long as the next news feed. But in 1938, with radio in its relative youth, Orson Welles broadcast a version of the H.G. Wells novel "War of the Worlds," that convinced some people that little green Martians were invading the Earth. Welles, enfant terrible and auteur of such films as "Citizen Kane," was never one to shrink from controversy. On the night of October 30, 1938, he used the power of a new medium to blur the boundaries between art and life. With Bernard Herrmann and CBS studio musicians playing the part of the "real" act of Ramon Raquello and his orchestra, Welles interrupted the broadcast with a report of a strange metallic craft landing in a field in the sleepy hamlet of Grover's Mill, New Jersey. Phony reporters, played by Mercury Theatre actors Frank Readick, Kenny Delmar and Ray Collins, then went on to describe to horrified listeners the appearance and advance of sinister aliens who vaporized weak earthlings with death rays. Although the extent of the hysteria has been exaggerated, a number of people did frantically call their neighbors or flee with their belongings. The panic, as it was, lasted until listeners turned to other channels and heard announcers debunking the hoax. The aftermath of the broadcast brought a fierce public debate about the role and responsibility of the media -- one that continues to this day. Welles, ever the enigma, never could be pinned down on whether the broadcast was designed to elicit the reaction that it provoked. Suggested Sites... War of the Worlds - official site of the Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise interpretation of the classic novel. The Complete War of the Worlds - the story across different media. War of the World: Invasion: The Historical Perspective - how the sci-fi tale has impacted society.

Directory categories: War of the Worlds Broadcast, Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Orson Welles, H.G. Wells

Archived under: Aliens, Literature, Orson Welles, Radio, Science Fiction, Technology, War of the Worlds

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Dracula, Prince of Wallachia Long before Lestat, Bill Compton, Angel, and Edward Cullen took their first bites, there was the original vampire: Dracula. Unlike the aforementioned bloodsuckers, Dracula didn't wrestle with his conscience, delve into politics, help the helpless, or (God forbid) sparkle. Both the "real life" and fictional Draculas were violent and merciless -- not brooding, self-aware emo kids. The "real" Dracula is believed to be a Wallachian (not Transylvanian) prince named Vlad Tepes who lived during the mid-15th century. Vlad lived during a time of great political turmoil for his homeland. The ever-expanding Ottoman Empire was determined to conquer Romania and Vlad led the resistance to turn them away. Vlad used guerilla warfare and what amounted to martial law to keep the Turks out and the local nobility from rebelling. He became known as "Vlad the Impaler" for his particular brutal torture and execution tactics. According to legend, anywhere from 50,000 to 200,000 were killed by Vlad's forces, leading to his reputation as a bloodthirsty tyrant. But Vlad's actions should be placed in the context of the violent and war-torn era in which he lived. In fact, many modern Romanians consider him to be a national hero. The Dracula of fiction was probably inspired by the legend of Vlad Tepes. It is debatable how aware writer Bram Stoker was of old Vlad's biography; he may have just liked the sound of "Dracula" for his villain. And Dracula was quite a villain. In between murdering and brainwashing, Dracula also plots world domination. He is apparently defeated by Dr. Van Helsing and his allies at the end of Stoker's novel by being stabbed in his coffin. However, as Hollywood has shown us, this death certainly wasn't permanent. In the Universal Studios Dracula films of the 1930s and '40s (made famous by Bela Lugosi) and the Hammer Films movies of the '60s and '70s (with Christopher "Saruman" Lee), Dracula always lives to kill another day. The popularity of these films further cemented Dracula's place in pop culture history. The last few years have seen vampires come back into vogue, thanks primarily to the TV shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "True Blood," and "The Vampire Diaries," and the Twilight books and movies. But Dracula has largely been absent, save a cameo on "Buffy" and a role in the 2004 film "Van Helsing." But as we all know, Dracula always comes back. This year, Bram Stoker's great grand-nephew will publish "The Undead," a sequel to "Dracula" based on Stoker's original notes and material not included in the original novel. With this release and the ceaseless popularity of vampire books, movies, and TV shows, it probably won't be long before Dracula rises again. But please: no sparkling.   Suggested Sites... Dracula: 1897 Original Text - read the original 1897 version of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" online at Internet Archive. Dracula's Castle - visit Dracula's Castle in Brasov, Romania and learn about other Dracula-related places in Romania. Romania Tourism; Dracula - discover more about Dracula (a.k.a. Vlad Tepes) and learn more about Dracula's place in Romanian history from the official tourism website of Romania. The Dracula Society - the foremost organization devoted to learning more about the real and fictional Dracula, as well as other supernatural beings.

Directory categories: Count Dracula, Vampires, Vlad Tepes, Bram Stoker, Romania

Archived under: Biographies, Blood, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, European History, Fiction, Horror, Horror Films, Literature, Movies, Mythology and Folklore, Paranormal, TV, Vampires, Villains

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