Vonnegut's Writing Career
Important Professional Dates:
1947: Vonnegut starts out as a Public Relations writer for General Electric.
1950s:
February 11, 1950: First short story, ''Report on the Barnhouse Effect'' published in Collier's.
1951: Quits G.E. and moves to Provincetown, MA (later West Barnstable, MA) to write full-time
1952: First novel, Player Piano is published
1954: First reprint when Player Piano is reissued as Utopia 14.
To make more income Vonnegut takes a teaching job, is advertising copy writer, and opens the second Saab automobile dealership in the U.S.
1959: The Siren of Titans is publishedBack to Top
1960s:
1961:Canary in a Cat House, a collection of short stories is published.
1962:Mother Night is published.
1963:Cat's Cradle is published.
It is reviewed in the New York Times Book Review and the Spectator.
March, 1965: God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater is published.
1965: Writes first review for New York Times.
1967:Signs three-book contract with Delacorte Press/Seymour Lawrence.
August, 1968:Welcome to the Monkey House, a collection of short stories is published.
March, 1969:Slaughterhouse-Five is published and is number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.Back to Top
1970s:
1970: Appointed to teach creative writing, Harvard University.
October 7, 1970: ''Happy Birthday, Wanda June'' opens in New York running through March 14, 1971.
May, 1973: Breakfast of Champions is published.
1974: Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons, a collection of essays, reviews, and such, is published.
1975: Mark Vonnegut's Eden Express is published.
1976: Slapstick; or Lonesome No More is published.
1977: First grandchild, Zachary, born to Mark's family.
1979: Jailbird is published.Back to Top
1980s:
1981: Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage, a collection of essays, reviews, and such with connective commentary is published
1982: Deadeye Dick is published.
December 15. Lily Vonnegut born.
1985: Galápagos is published.
1987: Bluebeard is published.Back to Top
1990s:
1990:Hocus Pocus is published.
1991:Fates Worse Than Death: An Autobiographical Collage of the 1980's is published.
1997:Timequake is published.
1999:Previously uncollected fiction from Vonnegut's 1950's efforts, Bagombo Snuff Box is published.
God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian is published.
Like Shaking Hands with God: A Conversation About Writing Kurt Vonnegut & Lee Stringer, moderated by Ross Klavan; foreword by Daniel Simon; photos by Art Shay is published.Back to Top
2000s:
2005: A Man Without a Country essays, edited by Daniel Simon is published