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Features > December 23, 2004

American Christmas Card 2004

By Kurt Vonnegut

As a special holiday treat for its readers, In These Times asked Kurt Vonnegut for his thoughts on the Christmas season. Here’s what he wrote. Happy holidays from everyone at In These Times.

I met a man in Nigeria years ago,
an Ibo,
who said he had three hundred relatives
he knew by name.
His wife had just had a baby.
They were going to take it
on foot
to be welcomed and marveled at
by as many of those relatives
as they could find,
even though
there was a war going on.
Wouldn’t you love to have been
such a famous baby?
I wish I could wave a magic want
this Christmas,
and give every desperately lonesome
and hungry and lost American
man, woman, or child
the love and comfort and support
of an extended family.
Just two people and a babe in the manger,
given a heartless Government,
is no survival scheme.

Kurt Vonnegut is a legendary author, WWII veteran, humanist, artist, smoker and In These Times senior editor. His classic works include Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Cat's Cradle, among many others. His most recent book, A Man Without a Country, collects many of the articles written for this magazine.

More information about Kurt Vonnegut

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  • Reader Comments

    That’s the irony isn’t it? With all of his talk of love, forgivness, and charity, Jesus wouldn’t have had a chance under this administration.

    Posted by OttoReponse on Dec 23, 2004 at 7:42 AM

    True… Bush hasn’t been to a Church service in years but is viewed by so many as such a wonderful Christian. He is a ‘born again’, maybe he just needs to be born again again? The bible says if you want to know if someone who comes calling themself a man of God really is, just look at their works. I struggle to understand how so many “Christians” in this country could have missed that passage. Happy Holidays to all readers.

    Posted by Ryan Conover on Dec 23, 2004 at 1:34 PM

    this country is in the worst mess it could ever be in there is to much to list and to thik about but family is what is left ???? extended or the lost nuculer family the cost of heating fuel and gas is a joke to pay for a second nam oh boy the united states on its mission of globle unity why just bring our troops home and shut down the borders and tighten up security of what comes in and out by all means of travel but will she nooooooooooo but any way iam a old soul in a young body just hating this country capitalisum has set this motion and wont stop untill it bolws

    Posted by vincent on Dec 23, 2004 at 2:34 PM

    I hope I get the same extended family name as Kurt Vonnegut

    Posted by G on Dec 23, 2004 at 4:41 PM

    He would make a cool uncle I think.

    Posted by Ryan Conover on Dec 23, 2004 at 4:53 PM

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