The High Cost of Fame

Vonnegut contributed comments to "The High Cost of Fame", an article in the January 1971 edition of Playboy in which nine authors—including James Dickey, Studs Terkel, and Dan Wakefield—reflect on how fame has affected them.

Summary

Carnegie Hall, Grinnell College

Vonnegut views his writing career as essentially a business story. Having never worked well within institutions, he had to find "some kind of wildcatting operation". Since his family had long been in the arts, it did not seem like an unusual form of employment. The main "cost was years", and authors often pay the price of growing old. After "20 years as a sort of counterpuncher", Vonnegut now wants to work on the basis of "art for art's sake", although he's also not sure he want to make any art for a while. A major consequence of success is a sense of completion, since America is a success-oriented society, but it drives him to consider a career as playwright to keep himself entertained. Writing books is now a bore, and Vonnegut is also hesitant to publish in case it harms his newfound reputation. Money become superfluous and a whole lot more trouble. Vonnegut started considering consumption, perhaps buying a Porsche, but found he just didn't want one. His friendships remain the same, but lots of "[d]umb kids... try to crash at my house all the time". His young fans have developed their own image of him, and are often "disappointed and nasty" at campuses when he doesn't necessary "endorse their lives". On the other hand, he also received a "marvelous cowl" in the mail from "a doctor of letters from Grinnell College", which he spent the rest of the day wearing.