I think KV gave several definitions of twerp, incl. "a person who farts in the bathtub in order to bite the bubbles."

Biting seems to play a large role in his defintitons. Hmm... +++

...by readers of quality and fights back the only way it know, yapping and nipping at their heels. KV wouldn't take any notice. Ruth

Ironically, Vonnegut drew a portrait of James Rosen, who did the obituary. It looked pretty much like this: *

www.vastleft.com

It's infuriating to see Vonnegut trashed by people too small to understand him.

"When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in confederacy against him."
--Johnathan Swift -Oscar

Hey folks,

Just a little story about the genius that was Kurt Vonnegut.

My uncle Bob was WWII bomber crew member in the same plane with Vonnegut's relative. It was from that family member that Vonnegut drew some of his information to write Slaughterhouse Five. The plane they were flying was shot down over Germany and the crew was taken to a POW camp in eastern Germany. My uncle died of untreated appendicitis during a forced march/run westward that the prison guards began to get themselves away from the advancing Russian forces and move towards the Brits and Americans to the west.

A few years ago, my dad and his brother were trying to piece together some more information about their dead brother's experience during the war and in the POW camp and called Kurt Vonnegut to see if he might be able to help them or to help them reach the cousin who flew with Uncle Bob. Vonnegut hung up on them.

I guess that's the Vonnegut I'll always remember.

I'm so confused- How did they trash Kurt Vonnegut? Someone please tell me what I am obviously too blind to see. Seriously- there might be something wrong with me.

My uncle Bob was WWII bomber crew member in the same plane with Vonnegut’s relative.

And what was that relatives name? Surely you must know since you later discovered he was, so you say, Vonnegut's cousin.

Vonnegut himself was taken prisoner in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. *

Dear Farmer,

I don't know the name or exact family relation to Kurt Vonnegut of that crew member on the bomber plane. I do know what my dad and uncle have told me as to research into their brother's fate on that march/run that the prison camp guards had the POWs engage in. And I know that my dad told me he and his brother had contacted Kurt Vonnegut to try to get into contact with his relative who had flown with and stayed in the prison camp with Uncle Bob. And that Vonnegut hung up on them. That's about it -- it's a piece of family oral history.

But as to "swift-boating" Mr. Vonnegut, that's a slick turn of phrase, yes, but terribly inaccurate as to what I related or what my intent was. I think we should look with clear eyes at every public figure, especially the ones whose work we admire but whose treatment of others may have left something to be desired.

Excellent! I don't think I've had enough meat in my diet, lately....

No authoritarians were tortured in the writing of this post.

Twitch may be a concern troll, but he may just be talking about the world as he sees it. Surely we have room for disagreement w/o diminishing those who disagree with us? At least if they aren't obvious, rabid Republicans? Jake

I guess that’s the Vonnegut I’ll always remember.

That would be the one you never met? +++

That you, and especially Lambert, can’t handle that without getting catty is no tribute to you or this blog space. Um...if you think pointing out that the Vonnegut you never met is the one you remember is "catty" I can't help you. You wrote something that is known as an informal fallacy: Gracie Allen made her career on this kind of stuff.

That you also state the tale of rude Vonnegut as a "fact" but a "second hand one, admittedly" is sort of weak in that you do your own takeaway, as it were.

I never met Kurt Vonnegut--and I don't know what your family experienced in terms of the context from Vonnegut's end: was he rude that day, on that call? He indeed may have been. And I truly understand that the impression one leaves with a stranger can be profound: a small act of kindness by an athlete to a child can send that child's spirit soaring, and create a positive impression that lasts a lifetime. Conversely, a slight from a public figure can inform one's perception and leave a bitter and lasting negative impression. Case in point here, yes?

That you, Twitch, were so hyperreactive to Lambert's joke (and to what I believe to be an entirely apt observation by moi) leads me to believe that you are carrying a larger agenda than you are consciously aware of. The world that we see outside is pretty much a projection of what's going on inside. Just saying. +++

MJS,
Your point (or points) are well taken. But I still object to people casually calling commenters "trolls" of any variety. I didn't know what that term meant but looked it up and found it defined on Kos. Basically it's a way of alerting fellow readers not to pay any attention to what a post says by characterizing the writer as an obstreporous, inflamatory jerk who should be edited out of the blog. And that's a pretty serious thing to do, since it can affect the writer and the blog discourse overall. Not a joke, at least not in my book. But in any case, thanks for the thoughtful response.