Introduction in Our Time is Now

Vonnegut wrote an Introduction in Our Time is Now: Notes from the High School Underground, a book about activism by high school students in the late 1960s—especially underground student newspapers—edited by John Birmingham and published by Praeger in 1970. It is slightly modified from an article entitled "Times Changes" from the February 1, 1970 edition of Esquire.

Summary

Little Richard, 1967.

While attending Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, Vonnegut wrote for the daily student newspaper, the Echo, as did his mother and, later, the author Dan Wakefield. He admired his teachers, and so did not mind that what he wrote "echoed off the grownups around me". Since his high school years took place during the Great Depression, many of "the smartest people in town had turned to teaching", but this is no longer the case.

Many of Vonnegut's classmates died in the Second World War, listed on a memorial at the high school entrance. After rereading this casualty list recently, he appeared on television with Little Richard, the early rock 'n' roll star who also performed in Germany with the Beatles. He encouraged Vonnegut to "Let it all hang out!", which led him to criticize the Vietnam War. The next day one of Vonnegut's "beloved" relatives said that he was shocked at this lack of patriotism. Vonnegut says when he was young, Americans were proud of their anti-militarism, but now unquestioning obedience has become popular.

In a recent New York Times piece, Vonnegut mentioned that a former classmate was now married to the Secretary of Defense and that American life seems to be high school over and over again. That's why this book written by contemporary high school students seems familiar to almost all Americans. People like Nixon, Hoover, and others are well-known high school types. These young people not only discuss life intelligently, but suggest improvements, which Vonnegut calls "decent and hopeful". While perhaps it is improper for such young people to speak so frankly, to do otherwise would be cowardly and the United States is supposed to be the home of the brave.