Kurt Vonnegut reads Breakfast of Champions | 92Y Readings

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 17. 04. 2013
  • 92Y.org/VPC | This excerpt is Kurt Vonnegut's very first public reading of the classic Breakfast of Champions, three years before it was published. Recorded May 4, 1970 at Unterberg Poetry Center of 92nd Street Y.
    Watch and listen to more archival programming from Unterberg Poetry Center at the Virtual Poetry Center: 92Y.org/VPC

Komentáře • 58

  • @infinityLTFS
    @infinityLTFS Před 5 lety +42

    its so adorable listening to him snicker at what hes written.

  • @WilsonsHat
    @WilsonsHat Před 3 lety +21

    This is wildly different from the published book version. Instead of being from the perspective of an author with godlike power over his creations, it's in first-person, from the view of one of his most damaged ones.

  • @hermanzoon
    @hermanzoon Před 10 lety +38

    Vonnegut spoke more truth than anyone. It is painful to hear the truth sometimes.

    • @trollero3
      @trollero3 Před rokem +1

      But it is necessary. It is having bad luck not to suffer it at some point in life.

  •  Před 2 lety +8

    This is such a wonderful remembrance for me, having been a guy of those times and an avid fan of Vonnegut. Very touching that he addresses so many points in this short excerpt that are so very relevant today, July 25, 2021.

  • @PanamaSneakers
    @PanamaSneakers Před 9 lety +10

    This is in my top 5...Kurt was definitely a light of inspiration. Thanks for the classic.

  • @robinskifloor2840
    @robinskifloor2840 Před rokem +3

    This book, given to me when I was 17, changed my perspective of life, I became an existinlalist without realizing. I was taught horrific lies about God and Christianity, Hell and Hevean by the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints, Short Creek, Utah, USA, after my brother and I were orpnded, 11, 9 years old, respectively, by our broken machine parents, vintage 1960, in our beautiful home in LA, which was no more. Living unloved and frightened, in the beautiful desert of Southern Utah.. My brother and I were turned to Pillars of Salt. He died an alcoholism at 41, as did both of my parents. The Creator patches me up and sends me back, every time I am broken. Vonnegot told me the truth about God.

  • @oboBob-ub1so
    @oboBob-ub1so Před rokem +2

    Brilliant. Life affirming. Thanks.

  • @coolbreeze4069
    @coolbreeze4069 Před 5 lety +4

    Thank you Mr. Vonnegut......

  • @kieranm7469
    @kieranm7469 Před 8 lety +8

    It was excellent to hear this, thank you! An alternate version, i couldn't have imagined better!

  • @VaiScion
    @VaiScion Před 10 lety +10

    That was amazing. Thank you so much for posting that. That just made my life.

  • @wizardmix
    @wizardmix Před 9 lety +50

    This makes me want to become a writer.

    • @red_ford23
      @red_ford23 Před 7 lety +5

      He made it look easy too.

    • @DigitalZiggurat
      @DigitalZiggurat Před 6 lety +5

      Have you done it yet? How much more time do you think you have?

    • @HorribleHomeVideo
      @HorribleHomeVideo Před 2 lety +1

      Glad you didn't write after all loser

    • @jiggersotoole7823
      @jiggersotoole7823 Před rokem

      how's it going?

    • @wizardmix
      @wizardmix Před rokem +1

      @@jiggersotoole7823 Writing is a skill I exercise more than any other skill I have and it's a constant joy for me. Thanks for the follow-up.

  • @1BabyBull2
    @1BabyBull2 Před 4 měsíci

    Now I remember how I felt the first time I read Mr. Vonnegut. How his full thoughts did not let me stop reading and wanting to feel the next slippery step of his slick science fiction.

  • @matthewwenman8692
    @matthewwenman8692 Před 10 lety +4

    Thank you for uploading this.

  • @laseryohanna
    @laseryohanna Před 7 lety +6

    What a treat

  • @makeitbetterx33
    @makeitbetterx33 Před 6 lety +14

    This is so different from the published version!

    • @andyuhe
      @andyuhe Před 2 lety +1

      I want to hear from looseleaf Harper!

  • @kirchelive6252
    @kirchelive6252 Před rokem

    Well, I can´t thank you enough for uploading that pearl. The internet isn´t that bad after all.

  • @simmieb8918
    @simmieb8918 Před 2 lety +3

    Thanks for 26 minutes of genius

  • @jimrebr
    @jimrebr Před 2 lety

    Wow, I haven’t read this since 1978, still incredible, I will always adore 🥰 him. He is one of my favorite writers. Sounded like a light lunch in the Garden of Eden, such a great line! Only robots could eat Draino….my dad was a Journeyman Linotyper, he paid me $10 an hour for spell checking several books, when I was a teenager, which was incredible money in the 70’s.

  • @hughiedavies6069
    @hughiedavies6069 Před rokem

    I remember loving this book when I read it in the early 80s before technology and mobile phones took over, it's a bit like someone from another planet describing what it's like on planet earth but but with a great sense of humour 👍 one of my favourite books back then . 😊

  • @MarcRodill
    @MarcRodill Před 10 lety +5

    This is really good.

  • @stan0matic
    @stan0matic Před 8 měsíci

    perfection

  • @Bolt473
    @Bolt473 Před 8 měsíci +1

    When we are born, we cry that we are come to this great stage of cheese

    • @tommartin2423
      @tommartin2423 Před 6 měsíci

      True for all of us, save for the baby cheeses.

  • @calyxiii7661
    @calyxiii7661 Před 3 lety +6

    Hi me 5 years from now

  • @Bolt473
    @Bolt473 Před měsícem

    15:45
    "I tell you what I hope most for this new planet of mine: that nobody, knowing what Drano is, will ever eat Drano."
    Amen.

  • @DSPHistoricalSociety
    @DSPHistoricalSociety Před rokem

    This was the first book by Vonnegut i read

  • @ANobodiemyspace
    @ANobodiemyspace Před rokem

    There was an old man who lived near you.
    He saw so many fools he did not know what to do.
    He gave them some stories without any BS.
    Then whipped them all soundly and put them to rest.

  • @miguel-angelcervantes5021

    Great you be you

  • @miguel-angelcervantes5021

    Thanks son don Juan Diego 🤩

  • @hahnfurst2195
    @hahnfurst2195 Před 2 lety

    "I figured out how to keep humanity from hurling itself off the cliff. To start, we're all going to post our favorite Rant(s) on 11-11 at 11:11.
    ~ xoxo Hahn Furst”
    #FLICKiT
    #HappyBirthdayKurt
    #HappyBirthdayFyodor
    #HappyBirthdayLeo

  • @deedonnerramone4757
    @deedonnerramone4757 Před rokem

    May 4, 1970? Kent State Shootings.

  • @THOUSANDSofAPOLOGIES
    @THOUSANDSofAPOLOGIES Před 8 lety +3

    Someone should transcribe this. Someone other than me, that is.

    • @willsuttie3683
      @willsuttie3683 Před 8 lety +2

      It's a book. Why would you transcribe someone reading a book?

    • @THOUSANDSofAPOLOGIES
      @THOUSANDSofAPOLOGIES Před 8 lety +14

      It's a very different version from the book. Did you listen to this?

    • @valsevker1087
      @valsevker1087 Před 7 lety +2

      This reading was deliberate..

  • @flannerymonaghan-morrs4740

    What accent does he have? Boston Brahmin? Midwestern? Californian? Etc.

    • @majoryot
      @majoryot Před 5 lety +5

      Kurt was from Indiana, so you're right on with Midwestern

    • @daviddawson1718
      @daviddawson1718 Před 5 lety +1

      Terra haute, the same area as Larry Bird, Tom Morello, Adam Jones, and Kurt Sr.

    • @jimrebr
      @jimrebr Před 2 lety

      Midwestern, he was born in NYC, his parents were actors and spent much time traveling with shows, therefore, Kurt was raised in Germantown, by his Vonnegut relatives. He lived with his 1st cousin Walter’s family, both in Germantown & as a teenager he spent time on Guemas Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington state, where Walter’s family moved to, Kurt & Walt were born the same year, they looked so much alike.

    • @TheNotBees
      @TheNotBees Před 8 měsíci

      @@daviddawson1718 Indianapolis where his museum is

  • @salamalmahi541
    @salamalmahi541 Před 7 lety +8

    This is better than the final book he published

    • @candyclaw706
      @candyclaw706 Před 7 lety +3

      Salam Almahi it's in the final book. you'd know if you had read it. You robot

    • @sianchetty1361
      @sianchetty1361 Před 5 lety +7

      Candy, Salam was a robot who was built to post inane comments on youtube!

  • @hansolo6139
    @hansolo6139 Před 4 lety +5

    I'm just annoyed by the people in the audience laughing all the time

    • @b00gi3
      @b00gi3 Před 3 lety +4

      I'm not. They are enjoying it and they are engaged. It's a humorous work. I'm sure Kurt enjoyed their reactions.

    • @wallywam1
      @wallywam1 Před 3 lety +1

      @@b00gi3 it’s humorous, but no need to guffaw at every single line.

    • @jessechristensen6338
      @jessechristensen6338 Před 2 lety +1

      @@b00gi3 Did he enjoy them because he thought they were machines laughing at what they were told to laugh at or because they really thought it was funny?