Kurt Vonnegut (Jr.)

As an undergrad at Cornell University, Vonnegut enlisted in the Army and fought in WWII. After his capture during the Battle of the Bulge, Vonnegut became a POW, an experience he would draw upon heavily in his novel Slaughterhouse Five and other work. After the war, Vonnegut became a graduate student in anthropology at the University of Chicago while also working as a journalist. His novel Cat’s Cradle was accepted as his thesis, earning him an M.A. degree in 1971. Cat’s Cradle eventually became a bestseller, after which Vonnegut was able to devote himself fully to his writing career, producing a total of 14 novels, as well as many short story collections, plays and other writings throughout his impressive career.