So it goes. Indiana’s first Literary Landmark celebrated its new status at 543 Indiana Ave. over the weekend + we’re booking it to your inbox to tell you all about it.
The landmark
The Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is now on a national map of landmarks + was given a $50,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation. The money will be used for programming around free speech — an important value of Uncle Kurt’s. Other sites with this distinction include the Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, FL + the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, CT.
The author
One of the 20th century’s most influential writers, Kurt grew up in Indy + attended Shortridge High School, which his grandfather built. In addition to the school, his family was also behind the construction of landmarks like the Athenaeum and the Ayres clock, leading to the city being used in his novels as a symbol of American values.
Kurt’s work includes classroom classics like “Slaughterhouse Five” + “Cat’s Cradle,” which both have themes of morality, governance, and absurdity. Much of his work was heavily influenced by his time as a prisoner of war during World War II.
The museum
Founded in 2009 by founder + executive director Julia Whitehead, the museum’s first location was in the Emelie building on Senate Avenue. However, the establishment moved in 2019 to its current location on Indiana Avenue. There you can find a collection of Kurt’s art, rejection letters, and personal belongings, including the actual typewriter Kurt used to write his novels.
In addition to its physical location, the museum also puts out a yearly edition of “So It Goes,” a literary journal that brings together work from a range of civilians + veterans — from high schoolers to established authors.
You can purchase a copy on the website or pick one up at the museum.
Interested in being in the next issue? You can take a peek at the submission guidelines here.
