Born in 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana, KURT VONNEGUTwas one of the few grandmasters of modern American letters. Called by the* New York Times "the counterculture's novelist," his works guided a generation through the miasma of war and greed that was life in the U.S. in second half of the 2...

Born in 1922 in Indianapolis, Indiana, KURT VONNEGUTwas one of the few grandmasters of modern American letters. Called by the* New York Times "the counterculture's novelist," his works guided a generation through the miasma of war and greed that was life in the U.S. in second half of the 20th century. After stints as a soldier, anthropology PhD candidate, technical writer for General Electric *, and salesman at a Saab dealership, Vonnegut rose to prominence with the publication of Cat's Cradle in 1963. Several modern classics, including Slaughterhouse-Five, soon followed. Never quite embraced by the stodgier arbiters of literary taste, Vonnegut was nonetheless beloved by millions of readers throughout the world. "Given who and what I am," he once said, "it has been presumptuous of me to write so well." Kurt Vonnegut died in New York in 2007.

LEWIS BLACK is an American stand-up comedian, author, playwright, social critic and actor. He hosted a Comedy Central series and made regular appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. When not on the road performing, he resides in Manhattan and also maintains a residence in Chapel Hill, N.C. He served as board chair for the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library.