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  • 7-DEC-2024 | Excerpt from “Armageddon in Retrospect” by Kurt Vonnegut

7-DEC-2024 | Excerpt from “Armageddon in Retrospect” by Kurt Vonnegut

Author

Dan Bogachek
December 07, 2024

Excerpt from “Armageddon in Retrospect” by Kurt Vonnegut

This is the opening to “Great Day,” a short story within the collection.

When I was sixteen folks took me for twenty-five, and one full-growed woman from the city swore I must be thirty. I was big all over — had whiskers like steel wool. I sure wanted to see something besides LuVerne, Indiana, and that ain’t saying Indianapolis would of held me, neither.

So I lied about my age, and I joined the Army of the World.

Didn’t nobody cry. There wasn’t no flags, there wasn’t no bands. It wasn’t like in olden times, where a young boy like me’d be going away to maybe get his head blowed off for democracy. 🏁

The voice is so incredibly present because it’s written like someone’s talking to you, not writing to you. Talking to your reader, taken one step further.

You glance at your watch.

It’s 6:28. You’ve been at it since 3.
Crap. Your hot date is at 7. Running late. Sink shower it is.
Nowhere close to done editing…

“…at least all the ideas are laid out, so there’s that. Did I miss anything? I don’t think so? Ok, but how do I make it flow? I need to get the final draft to Stacey for design asap, team cutoff is at noon Thursday…”

You’ve spent dinner completely distracted. Your date just took off. You go home exhausted, plod to your desk, and crack open the laptop.

Or… it could go like this:

5:41 — you’re out of the shower and lip-syncing.
6:17 — dressed to the nines and zenned out.
7:03 — the sunset glints off your aviators as you smile hello.
8:36 — it actually feels like you’re hitting it off. Not just hot, funny to boot.
Next morning, 10:27 — polished draft ready in your inbox.
10:31 — Stacey messages back, “thanks, looks good!”

The difference?

You had Copygloss handle it yesterday afternoon.

For help with editing, email Dan:
[email protected].