Lessons from a Master: A Review of “Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style”
My path to enlightenment through Kurt Vonnegut has been a long, twisting journey that the author himself would probably have appreciated. I have often mentioned that I was left at the library as a child, where I developed a love for science fiction, thrillers, and horror. Somehow, during that time, I missed Kurt Vonnegut while browsing. It wasn’t until my teen years that I was exposed to him, or at least his concepts. As a young guitarist, I picked up a copy of Joe Satriani’s “Surfing with the Alien,” which included the song “Ice Nine.” It was my favorite track on the album, and, as I’ve always done, I researched not only how to play the song but also its inspiration. This, of course, led me to “Cat’s Cradle,” Kurt’s tale of science, the arms race, and the end of the world that resulted from it. I was immediately enraptured by the author’s unique style and his expert skewering of politicians, war, and anything else that suited his fancy. I loved his wit and style, both on the page and in real life. He is one of a handful of authors whose work I read over and over again throughout the years, much as you would revisit an old friend. In fact, re-reading “Cat’s Cradle” and “Slaughterhouse Five” directly influenced and inspired me to write “Terrestrial.” I was greatly saddened by his passing in 2007 at the age of 84.
But recently, while browsing the shelves at the local bookstore, I came across “Pity the Reader: On Writing With Style” by Kurt Vonnegut and Suzanne McConnell. The book was first published as “On Writing With Style” in 2019, but, due to the pandemic, it passed by without much fanfare. That led to this expanded edition, which includes extra sections. Suzanne McConnell was a student of Kurt’s when he taught at the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop. They went on to become lifelong friends. That love is evident in the care she has taken in presenting Kurt’s advice on writing. The book expands on a two-page article of the same name that Kurt wrote in 1980 for the International Paper Company. It was part of an advice series in which they would get different experts to write 2 pages on various subjects. The original article is included at the start of the book. From there, it expands on each point, includes many anecdotes and stories, and features a plethora of quotes from Kurt Vonnegut himself. It even includes a bonus section called “Practices” that gives you a series of exercises to help you expand your writing even further. Regretfully, I abstained from the exercises due to a lack of time. At some point, I do intend to go back and work my way through them.
As a fan of Vonnegut’s work, I expected to like this book. I was shocked at how much I ended up adoring it. The advice in this book is pure gold. I cannot tell you how much I learned from it. And not just in a “someday I’ll use this way.” I can say for sure that the advice I got from this book helped me in real time on current projects I’m working on. I’ve never been able to say that about any book. I literally read something profound that changed the way I wrote a short story I was working on. In fact, it’s continued to help me since then, including during the edits for “Terrestrial,” a book directly inspired by Vonnegut’s work.
Parts of this book made me sad in the same way that watching a Groucho Marx monologue does, because a brilliant man no longer walks the Earth. I am a humanist and understand how life and death work, and that we all have our time, but there are certain titans I wish could ignore the rules the rest of us must live by. Kurt was one of those people. He was haunted, brilliant, and a timeless storyteller. This book, which I bought thinking it would be interesting, captured me in ways I couldn’t imagine and made me a better person and a better writer. That is the best kind of book magic and a fine, lasting tribute to a literary titan who continues to inspire to this very day.
And so it goes…
