Dear Mr. Vonnegut: "You have no talent and we suggest you give up writing"

The Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library will open this fall in Indianapolis. It will be part library and part museum, containing memorabilia from Vonnegut's life, signed first editions of his books and copies of the many rejection letters he received from publishers:

Vonnegut's eldest daughter, Edie Vonnegut, said her father loved libraries and would have wanted visitors to learn about his perseverance in the face of dismissive publishers. Among the items she's loaning the library are some of his rejection letters.

"We have boxes of rejection letters, letters saying 'You have no talent and we suggest you give up writing,'" she said. "He did not have an easy time of it, and I think for anyone who wants to be writer, it will be important for them to see how tough it was for him."

FMI: http://www.vonnegutlibrary.com/