Funds for Bookworm are provided in part by Lannin Foundation.

You are a human animal.

You are a very special breed,

or you are the only animal.

Who can think, who can reason, who can read.

From KCRW, Santa Monica, I'm Michael Silverblatt, and this is Bookworm.

Today, I'm very honored and proud and delighted and anything in the happy realm of feeling

to have Kurt Vonnegut is my guest. His new book is a man without a country. It's published by

Seven Stories Press, a wonderful little press that publishes only good books. And I wanted to begin

by saying that in all of my experience of reading, there's always a first book that you ever bought for yourself, not one for an assignment or for a school.

And I bought Kurt Vonnegut for myself because I wanted to and felt such crazy and unholy pleasure.

It made me laugh and cry and I am grateful for those things.

I mean, what do you want?

What more could a writer do?

Now, Kurt Vonnegut is 82 years old, I believe.

83.

83.

Happy birthday.

Well, thank you.

What you've just said is very nice for an old geezer to hear any sunset years.

Well, you know, I mean, part of what I think a critic or person of culture or any citizen should do is appreciate the things that meant a lot to him.

And if he fails to or fails to find the right words, he's not doing his basic job.

...