For all of you Vonnegut fans, there are exciting Vonnegut-related activities taking place in the Indianapolis area in March. One will be here at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. Other events will allow you to learn about Vonnegut or support KVML.

Gregory Sumner at the Carmel-Clay Public Library, March 2, 10AM–11:30AM

Gregory Sumner will speak about his latest work, the Vonnegut biography Unstuck in Time: A Journey through Kurt Vonnegut’s Life and Novels, in the Program Room at the Carmel-Clay Public Library. The library is located at 55 4th Avenue, Carmel. The KVML’s Executive Director, Julia Whitehead, will introduce him. After the program, there will be a book signing and book sale. All book sale proceeds will benefit the Carmel-Clay Public Library Foundation. This program is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Foundation’s web site or phone (317) 814-3905.

Gregory Sumner

First Friday, March 2, 6–9PM

On Friday, March 2, The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will be open from 6PM to 9PM. We will be making our regular appearance on the Indianapolis Downtown Artists & Dealers Association First Friday Gallery Tour! If you want to visit the library in the evening rather than during our regular business hours, this is your opportunity.

We will host renowned Indiana journalist and author James Alexander Thom. Thom is the author of several works of historical fiction. Two of his novels, Panther in the Sky and Follow the River have been made into films. He will discuss the craft of writing. Also speaking will be Kim Mezger, who will discuss how to start chapters of the KVML at colleges and universities.

James Alexander Thom

Welcome to the Monkey House Fundraiser for KVML, March 10, 10AM–5PM

Our friends at Bookmamas will host a Welcome to the Monkey House fundraiser for KVML. A percentage of store sales for Saturday, March 10, will be donated to KVML.

At 11AM, noon, 1PM, and 2PM, there will be readings of short stories from Welcome to the Monkey House. 

Slaughterhouse Five pizza from Jockamo’s will be available at 2:30PM.   Bookmamas is located at 9 S. Johnson Avenue, Indianapolis (1/2 block east of Ritter Avenue and 1/2 block south of Washington Street).

We hope to see you at one or more of these great events! Even if you cannot attend, please share/retweet this post with your social networks.

–Shannon

Welcome back to the fourth installment of Show Us Your Tats! If you missed the first three, check them out here, here, and here. Now let’s get straight to the new batch of tats!

Carroll Bilbrey of Indianapolis got this tattoo of Vonnegut’s self-caricature right before Christmas 2010. Carroll teaches world history at Herron High School on 16th Street in downtown Indy. Fun facts: Kurt’s grandfather helped design Herron High School, and Kurt’s father worked in the building.

“linda L A” submitted three tats, two of her own and one from her friend Jim Smith. Linda is from Columbia, Maryland, has a college degree in psychology, and is a business professional. Jim is also from Columbia Maryland. He did two tours in Iraq, worked at the White House for three years, and is a video producer for the government. He is also now in the Master’s program at the University of Maryland studying literature and journalism. The first two tattoos (the Vonnegut yin-yang and the “So it goes”) are Linda’s while the “asterisk” and the hairy arm belong to Jim.

Finally, Lazlo La Gratta would like to show off his tattoo of that most popular of Vonnegutisms, “So it goes.” He acknowledges that it may not be as intricate as some of the tattoos we’ve featured on the blog, but he says that it has a special place in his heart because it was his first ever tattoo. You couldn’t have picked a better one, Lazlo!

If you have a tattoo of something Vonnegut-related, feel free to snap a picture and send it my way (corey.dalton@vonnegutlibrary.org). Assuming that the body part is G-rated (or well disguised), I’ll post your tattoo for the entire world to enjoy.

Until next time,

—Corey

On Friday, February 3, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, 340 N. Senate Avenue, Indianapolis, will be open from 10AM to 9PM. These extended hours are part of our Super Bowl Week events.  During our extended Friday hours, we will be part of the Indianapolis Downtown Artists & Dealers Association First Friday Gallery Tour.

Our special guest for this month’s event will be Pamela Bliss. Ms. Bliss has a master’s degree in Arts Administration from Indiana University. She is an Adjunct Professor of Fine Arts at Indiana University-East and will be teaching mural painting at Herron School of Art and Design this fall. She also created and directs the public art competition in Wayne County, Indiana.

For all of you Vonnegut fans, she is the creator of the Vonnegut mural at 345 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis! Ms. Bliss will discuss what led her to paint large imagery murals as well as the process of painting murals. She also will explain how she was selected for the prestigious 46 for XLVI mural project and touch on how 46 for XLVI is similar to the Works Progress Administration murals from the 1930s. Ms. Bliss’s talk begins at 6:15PM.

Finally, the newly acquired Schehr collection (containing first edition Vonnegut books and magazines) and the just-arrived Kurt Vonnegut sculpture from Latvia will be on display throughout the evening.

For additional information about February’s First Friday event, click here.

We hope you’ll join us for an informative and entertaining presentation. If you are unable to attend, please share this post with your social networks.

–Shannon

As part of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library (KVML)‘s first anniversary celebration on Saturday, January 28, the library will host an hour-long lecture about Hoosier labor organizer Powers Hapgood.

So who was Powers Hapgood? In a June 2003 interview with The Progressive, Vonnegut told Hapgood’s story.

“Powers Hapgood was a rich kid. His family owned a successful cannery in Indianapolis. Powers was radicalized. After he graduated from Harvard, he went to work in a coal mine to find out what that was like. He became a labor organizer. He led the pickets against the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti. I got to know him late in his life when he’d become a local CIO official. There was some sort of dustup on a picket line, enough to bring the cops into play. Hapgood was testifying in court about what was to be done about CIO members who had made trouble. The judge stopped the proceedings at one point and said, ‘Hapgood, why would a man with your advantages, from a wealthy, respected family, Harvard graduate, lead such a life?’ Powers Hapgood replied, ‘Why, the Sermon on the Mount, sir.’ Not bad, huh?”

Hapgood was the inspiration for the Kenneth Whistler character in Vonnegut’s Jailbird.

Born in Indianapolis in 1889, Powers Hapgood came from a family of intellectuals who worked for social justice.  Hapgood’s father owned the Columbia Conserve Company and established a system of workers’ ownership and management.  Powers’ uncles were both writers;  Hutch wrote The Spirit of the Ghetto among other works and was a Harvard English instructor and an anarchist. Norman wrote Professional Patriots, was a drama critic, and the U.S. ambassador to Denmark.   Powers Hapgood continued his family’s legacy.

Powers Hapgood’s granddaughter, Liza Newman, will share stories of her grandfather’s amazing life during this free lecture, which is open to the public. It begins at 2PM on Saturday, January 28, at the library.

Join us for stories of one man’s dedication to the lives of workers. As battles over organized labor continue today, this lecture is a timely one.

As always, please share this post with your social networks.

–Shannon

As part of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library (KVML)‘s first anniversary celebration on Saturday, January 28, the library will host an hour-long panel discussion with survivors of Japanese-American internment camps. The panelists will recount their family lives before World War II, their experiences in the camps, and their lives after the war ended.

The Vonnegut Library began exploring the stories of Japanese-American internees in November 2011 with a screening of the award-winning documentary The Cats of Mirikitani and an exhibition of the art of former internee, Jimmy Mirikitani. As January 29 is the last day of the Mirikitani exhibit, we could think of no better way to conclude it than to hear from other internees in these camps.

Panelists include

• Jean Umemura, a 50-year resident of Indianapolis and retired teacher
• Charles Matsumoto, a 46-year resident of Indianapolis and retired pharmacologist
• Katherine Ase, a 31-year resident of Indianapolis and retired nurse 
• Anne Moore, a 40-year resident of Indianapolis and retired librarian 

The discussion is free and open to the public. It begins at 1PM on Saturday, January 28, at the library and will be moderated by KVML’s Executive Director Julia Whitehead.

Please join us for eyewitness accounts of a time in United States history when national security concerns trumped individual liberties. If you are unable to attend, please share this post with your social networks.

–Shannon

The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library (KVML)‘s first anniversary celebration is fast approaching on Saturday, January 28. This week’s blog posts will explore some of the events we have planned for the day in greater detail.

Heartland Actors’ Repertory Theatre (HART) will present a staged reading of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s only play, Happy Birthday, Wanda June in partnership with the library.

Production:  Happy Birthday, Wanda June

Location:  The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library – 340 N. Senate Avenue (The Emelie Building)                 

Date:  ONE SHOW ONLY:  Saturday, January 28, 2012

Time:  7 pm

Ticket information: $45 – Purchase at http://www.eventbrite.com/org/435374436?s=1687503.  Limited number of tickets available.  

Now a period piece, set in 1960, the timeless themes of this hysterical classic are as relevant today as ever.  HART has assembled a remarkable cast of familiar faces.  Company members Ryan Artzberger, Robert Neal, Ben Tebbe, Sam Fain, and Diane Timmerman will be joined by Constance Macy, Ryleigh Mill, Taylor Kleyn, and Mark Goetzinger.  Sound Design by Brian Hartz.  HART co-founder and Artistic Director Michael Shelton will direct.

Get your tickets now or share this post with your Vonnegut and/or theatre-loving friends and family!

Like the majority of folks in Indianapolis, we at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library are very excited that our city will be hosting the Super Bowl this year. To celebrate this great moment in the city’s history, we will be having extended hours as well as special events during the days leading up to the Super Bowl.

The *OFFICIAL* KVML Super Bowl Week Events Calendar follows. Save the dates, stop by, and check out some of our offerings—including the new Schehr collection, which features first-edition Vonnegut books and magazines.

• January 28: First Anniversary Celebration, Free public open house featuring discussions and music from noon to 5PM. There will be a staged reading of Vonnegut’s only play, Happy Birthday, Wanda June, at 7PM. Tickets are required for the reading. Go to http://www.eventbrite.com/org/435374436?s=1687503 for tickets.
• January 28-January 29: Final two days of The Cats of Mirikitani exhibit. Come see the paintings of Japanese American internment camp survivor Jimmy Mirikitani. Mirikitani was the subject of the award-winning documentary The Cats of Mirikitani.
• January 30-February 2: Extended library hours of 10AM to 8PM (Note that we will be open on Wednesday, too. We are normally closed on this day.)
• February 3: Extended library hours of 10AM to 9PM including First Friday event with 46 for XLVI muralist Pamela Bliss (creator of the Vonnegut mural at 345 Massachusetts Avenue, Indianapolis).
• February 4: Extended library hours of 10AM to 8PM
• February 5: Special library hours of noon to 3PM

Continue to watch our blog for more information about these events in the coming days. We hope to see you at one or more of our offerings. For those of you who don’t live near Indianapolis or don’t want to brave the downtown traffic during Super Bowl Week*, please share this post through your social media networks.

–Shannon

*For those of you who are planning to make the trip downtown, here’s a guide to getting around Indianapolis during the Super Bowl festivities. For those of you utilizing the “Bowl Route” to get around town, we’re just right off New York Street, north on Senate Avenue.

Events include speakers, music, and performance

To celebrate the first anniversary of its opening, The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will host a day of informative and entertaining events on Saturday, January 28. Programs begin at 1PM EST and are held at the library located at 340 N. Senate Avenue in Indianapolis.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS TO ATTEND THESE EVENTS!

(All events are free to the public unless otherwise noted.)

• All day: View the library’s newest acquisition, the Schehr Collection, which contains Vonnegut’s first edition books and magazines.
• 1PM: Japanese Americans held in internment camps during World War II share their stories of life in the camps. The panelists will touch on the subjects of war, peace, loss, and healing. The Vonnegut Library began an exploration of these themes in November 2011 with a screening of the award-winning documentary The Cats of Mirikitani and an exhibition of the art of former internee, Jimmy Mirikitani.
• 2PM: Liza Newman, granddaughter of famous Hoosier radical and labor organizer Powers Hapgood, discusses her grandfather’s amazing life and also his connection to Kurt Vonnegut. Hapgood was the inspiration for the Kenneth Whistler character in Vonnegut’s Jailbird.
• 3PM: A string quartet from Butler University’s School of Music will provide live music.
• 4PM: Kevin Schehr recalls the stories behind some of the rare Vonnegut items in the Schehr Collection held at the library.
• 7PM: The Heartland Actors Repertory Theatre (HART) will present a staged reading of Vonnegut’s only play, Happy Birthday, Wanda June. Tickets are $45.00 per person. Seating for this event is limited, so act now! To order tickets, go to http://www.eventbrite.com/org/435374436?s=1687503.

For more information about any of these programs, contact the library via phone at 317.652.1954, e-mail info@vonnegutlibrary.org, or visit the web site at http://www.vonnegutlibrary.org/.

Even if you can not attend yourself, please share this post with everyone you know!

As mentioned in last week’s blog post, the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will be open this Friday, January 6, from 6PM to 9PM as part of the Indianapolis Downtown Artists & Dealers Association First Friday Gallery Tour.

Jason Turner of La Porte, Indiana, will be the featured artist. His main area of interest is portraits done in both medias of paint and oil pastel.  Says Jason, “A painted portrait is not that dissimilar from a snapshot, but it is also an interpretation by the artist of the person portrayed.  Artists are in complete control of how they choose to depict a person visually.  They choose the color, style, and tone of the painting in essence with their perception the subject.  As opposed to just a photograph, a painted portrait enraptures the person and displays how others perceive them.  In my work, I show my interpretations and try to capture the complexities of people I have chosen to portray.”

Stop by the library at 340 N. Senate Avenue on Friday evening to meet Jason and see some of his works. 

–Shannon

On Friday, January 6, The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will be open from 6PM to 9PM as part of the Indianapolis Downtown Artists & Dealers Association First Friday Gallery Tour. If you want to visit the library in the evening rather than during our regular business hours, this is your chance!

Jason Turner of La Porte, Indiana, will be the featured artist. Jason graduated from Purdue University in 2000 with degrees in fine arts and art education.  During college, Jason studied abroad in London. While there, he displayed his art at the Kingsgate Art Gallery.  His area of interest generally is portraits done in both medias of paint and oil pastel.  Jason’s works have been displayed in London, St. Louis, and Valparaiso, Indiana.

Here’s the link to additional information about January’s First Friday event. Hope to see you there!

–Shannon