In May 2005, Kurt Vonnegut published a poem in The New Yorker dedicated to the memory of his friend, Joseph Heller. This anecdote was about their meeting at a lavish party hosted by a very wealthy man. In his big and expensive house hung paintings by Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso, the host himself had a supermodel for his wife, and the entire cream of New York society gathered at his banquet – summarized the introduction of comedian Jimmy Carr on Steven Bartlett’s show. In the description of the video – “This 40-second story can change your life.”
Two famous writers met at a millionaire’s party. This anecdote has gone down in history
Kurt Vonnegut’s text, which Carr quoted, in a free speech said: “True story, words of honor. Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer, now deceased, was with me at a party given by a multi-millionaire on Shelter Island. I said: Joe, how are you, except our host made more money yesterday than you made from your Catch-22 novel since its release? And Joe said to me, ‘I’ve got something he’ll never be able to have. It’s knowing that I’ve had enough. Not bad. ! Rest in peace”.
Joseph Heller gained fame thanks to the famous novel “Paragraph 22”, which was largely based on his own experiences from the front of World War II. The title paragraph refers to a paradoxical provision that allows a soldier to be immediately dismissed from service due to mental illness – he must apply for it. The catch is that if someone, out of concern for saving a life, applies for exemption from service, he proves that he is mentally healthy enough that he cannot be relieved of duty. Heller went on to teach writing and playwriting at Yale University and the University of Pennsylvania. The writer died in 1999.
Kurt Vonnegut, like Heller, served in the army during World War II and was taken prisoner by the Germans. He is also famous for his war-inspired novel Slaughterhouse Number Five.
He later wrote postmodern and science-fiction novels, and his most famous works include such titles as “Cat’s Cradle”, “Breakfast of Champions”, “Mermaids from Titan” and “Mother Night”. He conducted writing workshops, e.g. at Harvard, are famous for their controversial views and their bold expression. He was a pacifist and a defender of civil rights, and an atheist at that. Until the end of his life, however, he considered himself an underappreciated writer and led a reclusive lifestyle. He died in 2007 as a result of an accident while taking his dog for a walk.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
