Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007), was born in Indianapolis, to German-American parents. He is regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century. He wrote masterpieces such as Slaugherhouse-Five (1969), a book which was based on his experiences in Dresden, Germany where he was being kept as a prisoner of war during the destruction of the town in 1945. His works are considered as satire and black comedy. He was known for his humanist beliefs and also as a freethinker (sometimes also referred as an atheist).Vonnegut smoked unfiltered Pall Mall cigarettes, a habit he referred to as a "classy way to commit suicide".

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
~ Kurt Vonnegut