Kurt Vonnegut Quotes

See, the 'On the Road' that came out in 1957 was censored. A lot of the honesty of it, the bitter honesty, is in the original scroll version that came out in 2007 on the 50-year anniversary. Back then, there was so much post-Second World War fear that was imposed on everybody - 'You must live life this way' - and these guys were bored.

Because I didn't think anyone would actually listen to my music, I thought I could say whatever I wanted.

There can be no freedom in art and literature where the government determines who shall create them.

When I started to write, it was the '70s, and throughout that decade, we didn't have any problems with book challenges or censorship.

There shouldn't be any censorship on making a film.

You know I've had work banned.

I mean, they censor your work when they're scared of it.

The freedom of every artist is essential.

When I write, I don't allow the fear of consequences to interfere with the writing process. I have in the past paid for my commitment to the truth and the way I live my life. I am prepared to pay more if I have to.

I always tell students that writing a poem and publishing it are two quite separate things, and you should write what you have to write, and if you're afraid it's going to upset someone, don't publish it.

I would love it if every talk show let me say whatever I pleased.

I do walk with a bit of a swagger. I do swear a lot. And people are going to be offended by that. But in this PC world, you can't be honest.

I need to be free, to speak the unspeakable. You can't do that in office.

I enjoy total creative control right now. Nobody tells me to make it longer, shorter, better, sexier, more violent, whatever.

Anything that exists on the human palette is, from my point of view, fair game for artists to portray. You don't have to go see it if you don't want to, so don't go.

Obviously I don't want to make a film that offends people, but the whole world is so politically correct - I'm not going to not do something because it may be politically incorrect. At some point, the metaphors and allegories break down. They disappear, and you just have science fiction.

I am not interested in telling you what to think. My job is to show you what I think. Period.

Nobody can assume that, to a writer, everything is off-limits.

Performance artists in a free society have the right to do the most extraordinary and bizarre things. That’s called ‘Freedom of Speech.’

The American people are sick and tired of being afraid to speak their minds lest they be politically smeared as "Communists" or "Fascists" by their opponents. Freedom of speech is not what it used to be in America. It has been so abused by some that it is not exercised by others.

No person or set of persons can properly establish a standard of expression for others.

I'm lucky enough to exist in 2018, where I have a record label that's like, 'Write whatever you want to write.' I don't have to hide anything.

I really understand that we have to be sensitive to people's feelings and to their sensitivities, but you also can't be muzzled to tell a story.

It's really frustrating when you write a show and it's really funny and someone and from Standards and Decency says, 'You can't put that in because it has a naughty word.'

I will always demand the right for theatre to talk about anything and anyone. Without exception. None.