Palm Sunday (book)
Palm Sunday is a 1981 collection of short stories, speeches, essays, letters, and other previously unpublished works by Kurt Vonnegut. The collection provides insight into Vonnegut's thoughts on various subjects, including writing, war, and his own literary career. The book is known for its eclectic mix of genres and personal reflections.
Overview
Palm Sunday is a self-described "autobiographical collage" that showcases Vonnegut's versatility as a writer. It contains a mix of fiction and non-fiction, including short stories, speeches, essays, letters, and a sermon. The collection is notable for its exploration of themes such as free thought, war, and the role of the writer in society. Vonnegut also reflects on his own works and grades them based on his personal assessment.Contents
The collection includes the following pieces, written by Vonnegut unless otherwise noted:- "Dear Mr. McCarthy"
- "Un-American Nonsense"
- "God's Law"
- "Dear Felix"
- "An Account of the Ancestry of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr, by an Ancient Friend of His Family"
- "What I Liked About Cornell"
- "When I Lost My Innocence"
- "I Am Embarrassed"
- "How to Write with Style"
- Self-interview from The Paris Review
- "Who in America is Truly Happy?"
- "Something Happened"
- "The Rocky Graziano of American Letters"
- "The Best of Bob and Ray"
- "James T. Farrell"
- "Lavina Lyon"
- "The Class of '57"
- "The Noodle Factory"
- "Mark Twain"
- "How Jokes Work"
- "Do Not Mourn!"
- "Thoughts of a Free Thinker"
- "William Ellery Channing"
- "The Big Space Fuck"
- "Fear and Loathing in Morristown, N.J."
- "Dear Mr. X"
- "Jonathan Swift"
- "The Chemistry Professor"
- "Louis-Ferdinand Céline"
- "Dresden Revisited"
- "Flowers on the Wall"
- "Palm Sunday"