Loree Rackstraw

Loree Rackstraw and her fellow students in the Iowa Writers' Workshop were not exactly thrilled when they learned in September 1965 that a new instructor by the name of Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had been hired to replace novelist Verlin Cassill, the instructor they were all expecting. No one, including Rackstraw, had ever heard of Vonnegut, much less knew anything at all about his writing accomplishments and skills. Little did she know that she and Vonnegut were initiating a personal relationship that would last for the rest of Vonnegut's life.

Their relationship, which Rackstraw several times hints was sometimes an intimate one, was a bit bizarre at times. As she puts it, the "friendship was sustained mostly by the U.S. Postal Service" and it was common for the pair to go more than a year at a time without actually setting eyes on each other. But there is no doubt that the relationship was a long and enduring one because it lasted more than fifty years. During that half century, Vonnegut shared his most intimate thoughts and feelings with Rackstraw and always made sure that she saw early drafts of his latest work. He also shared much of his artwork with her and continued to encourage her with her own writing.

Love as Always, Kurt is very much Loree Rackstraw's memoir. Although she structures the memoir around the chronological progress of Vonnegut's literary career, this is not a Kurt Vonnegut biography that can be depended upon for completeness or objectivity. That Rackstraw still deeply cares about Vonnegut is obvious on every page, and those readers looking for a more traditional biographical handling of the author are likely to be disappointed. Those hoping for a more intimate and emotional glimpse of what Kurt Vonnegut, the man, was like, are going to be pleased.

The Kurt Vonnegut portrayed by Rackstraw was an extremely naive man, one whose friends feared was easily exploited by those seeking to take advantage of his good nature. He was a man who believed that we were put on this earth "to fart around," and he said that he was having a "perfectly wonderful time." Love as Always, Kurt also focuses in on Vonnegut's strong anti-war sentiments and other politically far left views. That Kurt Vonnegut cut his political opposites no slack and he and Rackstraw (and the rest of their crowd) often took great glee in viciously ridiculing anyone who disagreed with them.

My most vivid takeaway from the memoir remains just how insecure Vonnegut was about his writing. Writing did not come easy for him, and he was often at odds with his publisher about delivering promised projects by contracted dates. I was also struck by the man's intolerance of those who did not politically line up with his own views. Rackstraw makes it clear that she, Vonnegut, and their friends preferred ridicule and laughter to the consideration of opposing viewpoints.

If you read Love as Always, Kurt just remember that Loree Rackstraw is very much Kurt Vonnegut's cheerleader. To her credit, she does not pretend otherwise. But even as one-sided as the memoir is, it deserves a look from Kurt Vonnegut fans because of the little details and insights into his personal world that Rackstraw reveals.… (mer)

This is a good book for Vonnegut fans. I enjoyed having a chronological perspective on the most notable part of his writing career. The author was a lifelong friend of Kurt Vonnegut's, and she is a fan too, so what results is a very kind and gentle depiction of the late writer. There are some vague passages about the exact nature of the author's relationship with Vonnegut--there seems to have been a romantic connection there, but it is never depicted in plain terms.

For my taste, there tends to be too much discussion of Vonnegut's speeches, letters, and public appearances, but obviously these are the kinds of details that the book's author has ample access to, in addition to several decades' worth of correspondence. But I found interesting the insights into Vonnegut's private struggles with his novels and consternation about his reception (or lack of it) in the academic community. The portrait that emerges of a sometimes painfully humane, earnest artist makes this memoir a memorable read for those like myself who are pleased to have their impression of Kurt Vonnegut validated. This makes me eager to read the fuller Vonnegut bio yet to be published and will prompt me to reread many of his works.… (mer)