Kurt Vonnegut quotation (thanks to Kate Paley who posted this on her FB info page)

[davidfcooper]

Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.

What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.

I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, "If this isn't nice, I don't know what is."

A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.

Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you've got about a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies — "God damn it, you've got to be kind."

What is the purpose of life?
To be the eyes and ears and conscience of the Creator of the Universe, you fool.

I beg you to believe in the most ridiculous superstition of all: that humanity is at the center of the universe, the fulfiller or the frustrator of the grandest dreams of God Almighty. If you can believe that, and make others believe it, then there might be hope for us. Human beings might stop treating each other like garbage, might begin to treasure and protect each other instead.

* A great swindle of our time is the assumption that science has made religion obsolete. All science has damaged is the story of Adam and Eve and the story of Jonah and the Whale. Everything else holds up pretty well, particularly lessons about fairness and gentleness. People who find those lessons irrelevant in the twentieth century are simply using science as an excuse for greed and harshness. Science has nothing to do with it, friends.

You were sick, but now you're well, and there's work to do.

--Kurt Vonnegut

The above notwithstanding I will continue to use semicolons which I find to be a useful way of linking two related thoughts or pieces of information. I prefer semicolons to choppy prose that results from a series of short sentences.

Comments

[anaisdjuna.livejournal.com]

I like semi-colons too! September 24th is national punctuation day, btw. :-)

I also do disagree with Kurt on the only things not relevant in the unid religious text he's discussing there. Social sciences and the kindness of which he speaks has rendered the anti-feminist and woman-ignoring-'cept-as-begetters-of-more-males only is obsolete also. grrrrrrrr!

[davidfcooper.livejournal.com]

Social sciences and the kindness of which he speaks has rendered the anti-feminist and woman-ignoring-'cept-as-begetters-of-mor e-males only is obsolete also. grrrrrrrr!

Good point, anaisdjuna.

[ragecarnuu.livejournal.com]

Kurt was a legend!