From “Semicolons: A Love Story,” by Ben Dolnick.
Vonnegut’s dismissal of semicolons therefore struck me as more than a mere matter of style. This was, like his refusal to describe his war experience in heroic terms, a demonstration of virtue. To abjure semicolons was to declare oneself pure of heart, steely-eyed, sadly disillusioned.
“The 22,000-word novella, ‘Basic Training,’ was rejected by the Saturday Evening Post in the late 1940’s, long before Mr. Vonnegut had become famous through works such as ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ and ‘Cat’s Cradle.’”
“RosettaBooks described the novella as a book that demonstrates Mr. Vonnegut’s ‘trademark grand themes: the lunacy of kings, the improbability of existence, the yearling hero’s struggle with duty and love and the meaning of heroism.’”
What’s the lame part?: “It will be released exclusively through Amazon as a Kindle Single at a cost of $1.99.”
Vonnegut used to say that he couldn’t teach anybody to write, but like an old golf pro, he could go around the course with you and maybe take a few strokes off your game. That seemed to me very accurate.
But I’ve changed my mind. I think you can be taught to write. You can’t be taught to be a good writer. For that you have to bring something to it, yourself, something that can’t be given to you.
”Just coming across this. Must read. Derek Sivers recorded Kurt Vonnegut’s example story grids from a talk several years ago. If you haven’t seen them, worth a look. Instant lessons…
