A while after Kurt Vonnegut died (in April of 2007) I realized that while I had read many of his novels, I had not read any collections of his essays or commentaries. And I was pretty sure I'd like them. But I kept forgetting about this until recently when I asked the library to provide me with some titles in my monthly box of books (ok, sometimes it's two boxes but not lately. Even when I make them bring me Big Heavy Gorgeous Art Books or books on Arts and Crafts style bungalows).

This morning I picked up PALM SUNDAY, a trade paperback published by Dial Press. Dial Press is no POD-come-lately. The collection dates from 1981, and the first trade paperback edition came out 10 years ago. There have been several editions, and this trade paperback edition came out only three years ago. I really think it would have been improved by offering actual page numbers for each essay or letter or article, rather than just a grouping, because if you see a particular piece by Vonnegut you want to read, it takes a bit of work to find where it begins. Apparently that's the point, but I wanted to dip into the book and read maybe one thing in the middle. Apparently that was not the author's choice but hey, it's my book for the few weeks the library has loaned it to me, so I can read it how I want to.

Dates would be nice too. I would like to read, in the Table of Contents whensomething was written, or spoken, or sent, or hummed or whatever. This is a book that I thought was intended for skimming, not reading straight through. Example? This morning I wished to read a specific bit called "The Noodle Factory". Why? Because I saw a note that said that this was a speech made by Vonnegut at the dedication of a new library "at the University of Connecticut, New London."

I went to college in New London, Connecticut. While I haven't been back in a while, I was fairly certain that UConn (as we call the University of Connecticut which is why the sports teams are the Huskies which took me a long time to figure out as a child. Pant.) had not built a campus in New London. The college I attended was a private 4-year liberal arts college called Connecticut College. It had been "Connecticut College for Women" for decades but went coed in the late 60s. (My freshman year it was still pretty amazing to have a guy in one of your classes. I think there were 50 men in the student body when I started attending the school.) I graduated in 1974 and as I recall there was talk of a new library, probably to be named after the guy who'd been college president while I attended the school (it still burns me that most recent presidents of Connecticut College have been men; something like 50 years of being a women's college should have turned out more women leaders - but the one they got a few years after I graduated apparently aliented everyone. Sigh.

The address was somewhere after page 133, according to the Table of Confusing Contents (which is apparently deliberately confusing, by the way as it refers to "bits of the collage". Grrr.

Thumb thumb thumb. Nope not there, not there. Wait. There. "Years later, [oops. no idea what the reference is here] on October 1, 1976, I would pay this circuitous tribute to the art of reading at the dedication of a new library at Connecticut College, New London."

Dammit.