1970: KURT VONNEGUT Interview | Review | Writers and Wordsmiths | BBC Archive

"I think we are doomed through eternity to repeat this programme." - Kurt Vonnegut
The author Kurt Vonnegut - whose novel Slaughterhouse 5 is a bestseller in the US - chats to James Mossman in a wide ranging interview that covers; non-linear time, women, his kids, middle age, the American system, and the end of the world.
Originally broadcast 4 April, 1970.
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All these years later, Kurt Vonnegut is still one of my favorite friends on the bookshelf!

[@MadonnaGrogan]

Same

[@Terrible0x0Trivium]

I'm 35 and I've rarely been so moved by a book as when I've read Slaughterhouse Five or Breakfast of Champions, or Mother Night. Vonnegut's point of view is timeless, tragic and beautiful.

[@MrMann0123]

So it goes.

[@Shmarful]

well done.

[@allencollins6031]

Po tweet

[@Terrible0x0Trivium]

And so on.

[@Tiggy_T]

Do you guys think that Mac Miller was inspired by Kurt

[@DamienLavizzo]

Slaughterhouse-Five is the most eloquent and fantastical examination of PTSD I've ever read.

[@kdavisinca]

Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt

[@James-pq7nf]

ive always been HONORED that i saw him in Stratford

[@spitefuldeer]

kurt vonnegut is one of the most special authors ever. he didn’t have wordsmith abilities of shakespeare or oscar wilde, but the man could tell a story that drags you into his mind. SHV being the first book i genuinely ever read, and the book that caused my passion for literature to grow. what a lad.

[@shakazulu5665]

"if this isn't nice I don't know what is" I love you all God bless you May we all find our own peace

[@stewmo1]

James Mossman, the interviewer here, killed himself a year after this interview. What an excellent interviewer he was, and obviously a sensitive soul.

[@andydixon2980]

That's very tragic. I could never have guessed from what I've just seen.

[@pistachiowarcrimes6885]

His suicide note read "I can't bear it anymore, though I don't know what 'it' is"

[@richardchason]

​@@pistachiowarcrimes6885What a terrifying note. I don't envy his psyche.

[@liammcooper]

Jesus

[@DemonetisedZone]

I was certain that was Alan Watts😂

[@cshelley5658]

Watching these 2 'preserved ghosts' talk about "time"; to help revive the value of living. 🤔 Thanks for this.

[@cynthiafernandez6187]

Oh my. I love Kurt Vonnegut- my absolute favorite writer. @1:27 his response to why he writes briefly about women, is just perfect in every sense. Thank you, Kurt!

[@cappuccinobean2442]

I found it a bit disappointing...Why does it have to be a love story if a woman is involved? Kind of makes it seem like women only exist as objects of desire and can't drive a deeper plot.

[@Karaokuma]

​@cappuccinobean2442 It's not so much about the involvement of women as it is the perspective from which the story is told. If a man writes about a woman, there's always a degree of separation because life is different for men and women. A female character from a male writer can only ever be an estimation.

[@owengrubbs4050]

This was absolutely wonderful.

[@sacredguineapig9397]

The absolute man. So happy to see new footage. Love all you. Here we go again!

[@buckshot.98]

"There's something about my teachings, or about my writings, I think that discourages everybody from reproducing."

[@DenkyManner]

Great writers often have these slightly crazy theories about why certain things happens in the world, their own mythos. I don't necessarily agree with him but it doesn't matter, he wasn't running for office, he can have "interesting" ideas that make us think about the world differently, if only for a minute or two.

[@shakazulu5665]

But was he wrong? Do you not see the Orwellian world we now live it? 1984 is literally the status quo nowadays. Science is now a dogmatic cult like religion and "the science is settled" when thats not how scientific discoveries work

[@Daniel-nh3qr]

Beautifully said.

[@cappuccinobean2442]

Very good way of thinking :)

[@RoseaNebulaLaeta]

8:40 this is so brilliant - these are the ideas explored in Fight Club and Mr. Robot - that computers and machines would have to be factored in when overthrowing a society. And Kurt knew back in 1970 🤯

[@lewis5384]

I do believe it was the subject of his first book. You would be surprised how many of our problems today were predicted in the 50s and 60s.

[@sehlordhorr8540]

@@lewis5384Aldous Huxley released their brave new agenda back in the 1930s

[@jasonayres]

My dad was a fan of his writings. What can I say.. Don't worry. It's not the end of the world. 🙂👍

[@bluepvp900]

That made me laugh like hell.

[@A-432-Zone]

And yet, ironically, this IS the end of the world. And Vonnegut foresaw the whole thing in every word he spoke here. And still, people in the very comments here are lightly passing him off as gifted but a little "crazy." They cannot she through the poetry when the truth becomes so nullified. This truly is the curse of the great artists.

[@proto-geek248]

It's not the end of the world. Mankind's belief that he can harm the Earth is the most pompous of notions. "The world isn't going anywhere. WE ARE!" George Carlin

[@naomigee1109]

Yes it is

[@christopher_ecclestone]

It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from here.

[@flerkk]

My Favorite Author. Started out with Cat's Cradle and I was hooked ❤❤

[@JackThursby-w1s]

An impressive deep thinking man. The story of his survival in Dresden is pretty mind blowing and deeply ironical and I think it must have jolted him awake.

[@hilaryepstein6013]

Whether you agree with his ideas or not, one of the 20th Century's great thinkers. Full of wisdom amd humour.

[@sexobscura]

Humour is the wisdom that is like a warm breeze in winter

[@A-432-Zone]

Yes. In a way he was THE modern-day Mark Twain.

[@chrisneyman]

"To win or to quit" Wow.

[@studioyosemite671]

really and truly on a higher plane

[@MrMann0123]

My favourite book of all time.

[@soundspace7467]

It’s a good one.

[@tunkamoose1981]

6:36 in… “ They ( his children) don’t see life as an amusing opportunity, and I’d hoped they would.”

[@ChillingCrowley]

I feel the same about an infinite regress, we are doomed to repeat this for eternity

[@BreezyE-d3n]

I think we all experience every living things life for infinity

[@proto-geek248]

Now is forever.

[@davedogge2280]

This is a reminder for me to either watch the Slaughterhouse-Five movie / read the book or both.

[@kamandi1362]

Just read the book.

[@soundspace7467]

Read the book. Now.

[@ryang7759]

read it!!!

[@proto-geek248]

Both. Book 1st.

[@MadonnaGrogan]

Book excellent

[@dannywhite9975]

D quality of d audio is top notch. Thanx.

[@melissavidic2895]

Good interview, I can’t believe I haven’t read Slaughterhouse Five. It’s on my list!

[@M05tly]

I am sure you will enjoy it greatly, it is a truly excellent book!

[@valuetraveler2026]

Great mind great interview

[@moonstad6750]

he will be in the canon. mark my words. if i had heros, joe, fred, robin... those, and this guy.

[@proto-geek248]

Palooka, Flintstone & Hood?

[@DemonetisedZone]

Kilgore Trout is not a very good writer, he's more of an ideas man🤩

[@tylerlevingston2771]

Vonnegut is brilliant. I say is because if his thinking is correct he still is alive at this moment

[@Sporky.Productions]

If this isn't nice, I don't know what is!

[@tonymoon7741]

My parents' generation has quite literally kept the idea of reproducing out of my head. I'm in my mid-40s, and the chances of my wife and I having children is nil. Since the post-war generation has taken power, all of our interests have been handed over to giant corporations, the environment is on the verge of collapse, and the US is close to be run by a bunch of religious fanatics. Many of us don't want to contribute to the problems, and don't want to subject our genetic off-spring to a crumbling world. In my lifetime, I've lived through several deep economic recessions and several forever wars. I've seen our rights stripped away by them, the water become undrinkable, the air un-breathable, plastics in my food and body, and my freedom of speech limited. And on top of that, I have to live under the constant threat of getting shot in public by some mentally unstable person who was able to quickly and cheaply by guns. And on top of that, it looks like attending church will be compulsory in many parts of America.

[@aboveman5321]

"Spinoza had already said all of this" ...

[@qevian]

As much as I love Kurt Vonnegut, it is perfectly possible to write about women as people and not simply introduce them as a love story 😳

[@alexanderacostaosorio]

Women represent something that's not present in Vonnegut's work, hence, the limited and almost non-existent reference.

[@dylanhatesyou]

@@alexanderacostaosorio maybe not in Slaughterhouse 5 but there are female characters in other novels

[@A-432-Zone]

Oh, I don't think that's what he was saying all. He almost always "speaks" between the lines. Same thing for his novels.

[@SearchIndex]

That’s not what he was saying

[@LuminousTurtle2029]

It also is a sign of intelligence when you know yourself so well that you know you can't write female characters aside from their being in a romantic setting. I'm not saying this is how he felt. This is how I interpret what he said. I could be wrong.

[@A-432-Zone]

A true Christian AND Buddhist! We love 'ya, Kurt!

[@stephenburke7108]

so it goes

[@Jamersonjamersonjamerson-or4tz]

Good vibrations

[@taff6987]

David Bowie interviews Kurt Vonnegut😮

[@Appleblade]

Woosh! ... 1:20... right over the dull perception of the interviewer. At the end, Vonnegut manages to provide the bona fides for eternal recurrence or multiple worlds with the Spinoza reference, but makes clear he came by the opinion honestly (even as a American).

[@jdm65]

Looking remarkably like Swiss Toni. Being a famous novelist...

[@alancawfield6549]

Writing a novel is a lot like making love to a beautiful woman, you find a quiet place to do it, you make sure you have enough lead in your pencil and then you keep going until you've reached a satisfying climax.

[@MartinCellarDJ]

​@@alancawfield6549 superb.

[@contecrayononpaper]

I am not responding well.

[@vanleeuwenhoek]

Vonnegut looks peak stoned eyes alone.

[@JLB293]

We just have to learn navigating infinity a bit better

[@HenryCasillas]

🌻

[@JayPattersonTV]

I think Kurt was smoking some trees before this interview.

[@waltersolomon9049]

He only smoked Pall Malls.

[@manicmandownup]

Peace.

[@jessed1709]

14:05 What is Vonnegut saying here? Where was he?

[@BBCArchive]

Biafra.

[@stephenburke7108]

Republic of Biafra (part of Nigeria, Africa today)

[@Notme5-5]

🍃🍃🍃

[@burnlastsunday]

Just finished Hocus Pocus a few minutes ago. Cough.

[@gryffonsi]

I had to laugh like hell

[@richardjames1946]

" ... doesn't give you the right to rule the universe "

[@PoetlaureateNFDL]

There were no cellphones then.

[@proto-geek248]

Poo tee weet 🐦

[@turntabillist]

THAT happiness is mine.

[@alancawfield6549]

Alan Arkin was sick of Acting in 1970, he's still doing it now, sort of feel sorry for him now.😆

[@proto-geek248]

Mr. Arkin passed away June, 29 2023 RIP 🙏

[@faithbad666]

We All Live Like that...mind in the present, past & future

[@marmasettesamram2024]

Hi Ho

[@ianparsons6466]

Lol man this guy seems like a real bummer to cruz with ngl

[@kyleebrock]

James was not listening... Kept asking the same questions... Glad it was Kurt that he kept talking...

[@burnlastsunday]

Hi ho.

[@jediknight108]

Hare Krishna

[@kerrieannebaker8595]

america, the collective narcissist

[@cartoonvandal]

I mean, clearly, he's no Ballard, but he's alright.

[@COURRUPTIONCOIN]

System ..........is presently......dying.

[@Brian-nt1hh]

You really think so?! Hmm the machine RNC/DNC/corporation complex is just smoothly chugging along from my viewpoint. That’s not saying it is a good thing

[@COURRUPTIONCOIN]

@@Brian-nt1hh ( You R a Fed of some kind....trying to bait me .....but......) 💀 💀 💀 🤕 💀 💀 💀 B O D Y IS THE 8 th Satan will assign 10 insane ( Web Phantoms ) criminals to operate in behalf of ; Military - lnsurance - Agriculture -U S Evangelical -Vatican- Asian Christianity- Media- Markets- Technology - Energy Sector. Watch how WE allow Genocide. Because it means WE will never spot the Antichrist operate in behalf of