At a writers' conference I once attended, the keynote speaker was a famous author. Whether you've read any of his books or not, you would surely recognize his name. As a courtesy, I'm not going to mention it. Maybe he was having a bad day. He was, bar none, the worst speaker ever. He had nothing to say. Mumbling into his shirt collar, he read to the audience from a book in progress. He wasn't even a good reader. He droned on and on in monotone. Although I was sitting very near the dais, I was unable to hear or follow what he said. Considering the cost of the conference, it was a great disappointment.
In contrast, when I was a student at Oakland University, the Student Life Lecture Board sponsored two lectures which were the most memorable highlights of my time there. One of these outstanding speakers was Alex Haley, author of
Roots. The other was Kurt Vonnegut. Much of what he had to say is included in the clipping below.
Thank you, Mr. Vonnegut, and farewell.
(click images to enlarge for reading)
