My fellow Kurt Vonnegut fans came out of the woodwork recently, so here’s a pointer to what could be an extremely well-done biography of Kurt and his oldest brother Bernard, a somewhat famous climate-control experimenter in his day. Also check out a related Wired article and podcast. I myself would be thrilled to review The Brothers Vonnegut, by Ginger Strand, who tells how important a role Bernard played in the novelist’s life and career. But as an experiment, here’s another possibility.
If you’re a Vonnegut fan, e-mail me at davidrothman@pobox.com, link to helpful writing samples from a blog or elsewhere, and tell me exactly why you’re qualified to write a long, detailed review of the book in the context of other bios and Vonnegut’s fiction. I’m more interested in writing ability and knowledge of and enthusiasm for the topic than I am in academic credentials, although it would be wonderful to hear from a Vonnegut-crazed English lit major or academic. I’ll then get you a free Kindle copy from Farrar, Straus & Giroux for review, or I’ll buy one for you on Amazon. If I can’t find the right contributor, I’ll review The Brothers myself later this year when I have time. If, however, the right person turns up, we can even go on to repeat this experiment with other books.
