Observations — Street Art In Indianapolis

Artist Pamela Bliss recently painted a 38-foot-tall mural of legendary Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut as part of the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI public art project. It may be found on Massachusetts Avenue, a bustling street in the exciting Lockerbie neighborhood in downtown Indianapolis.

Dan Wakefield

This photo was included as part of a great story by former NUVO editor and Indianapolis Star writer Will Higgins about the return to Indianapolis of another great Hoosier-born writer, Dan Wakefield. Wakefield, who wrote the best sellers Going All The Way and Starting Over (both made into feature films), returned to Indianapolis to write a biography of his friend, Kurt Vonnegut.

Vonnegut, often compared to Mark Twain, is considered by many to be among the greatest American writers. His novels include Slaughter-House Five, Cat’s Cradle and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, among others.

As a writer and human, Vonnegut was often at odds with conventional wisdom.

He called out the year 1492 in his novel Breakfast of Champions.  “As children we were taught to memorize this year with pride and joy as the year people began living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America. Actually, people had been living full and imaginative lives on the continent of North America for hundreds of years before that. 1492 was simply the year sea pirates began to rob, cheat, and kill them.”

Photo courtesy Indianapolis Star, Frank Espich, photographer. Thanks to cousin Adam Newton for tipping me on the mural.