Vonnegut Protégé Will Share His Wisdom

Ex-lover plans volume of late writer's letters
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 14, 2009 8:53 AM CST

Aspiring novelists, Kurt Vonnegut has some advice for you: “Write a play.” It’s easier. That, and other nuggets of wisdom, will be available for the first time when Vonnegut’s private correspondence with one of his students is published in April, the New York Post reports. Loree Rackstraw—the author of Love as Always, Kurt—had an affair with Vonnegut in the mid-‘60s and wrote to him until his death.

“Write a play, lamb,” urges Vonnegut in one of his notes. “The theaters are empty. You don't have to describe characters in depth. Simply put words in their mouths. Then your producer hires graceful, enchanting people to speak and move . . . How long is a play? About 100 pages, and a lot of every page is white space.”
(More Kurt Vonnegut stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X