The Vonnecast

A podcast by the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library.

About

In 2022, acclaimed American author, Kurt Vonnegut, turns 100 years old. From the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, The Vonnecast explores ways Vonnegut’s legacy has shaped the lives of others and continues to make souls grow. 

Listen Everywhere

Episodes air Saturdays at 4 p.m. EST on WQRT 99.1 Indianapolis

Re-airs on Tuesdays at 8:00 AM EST

You can listen live to episode premieres on wqrt.com
Episodes available on all streaming platforms after re-airs

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Meet The Host

Chris Lafave

KVML Curator

Favorite Vonnegut Book:

Cat’s Cradle

Favorite Musical Proof of the Existence of God:

Bob Dylan or the Grateful Dead. Plus Jazz and Bluegrass

KVML 2022 Event Most Excited for:

Banned Books Week

Vonnegut Quote You Live By:

“Man blinked. “What is the purpose of all this?” he asked politely.
“Everything must have a purpose?” asked God.
“Certainly,” said man.
“Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this,” said God.
And He went away.”

Recent Episodes

Musician Charlie Ballantine

Join us as we talk to musician Charlie Ballantine. We discuss capturing the mood of Vonnegut’s work through music, retaining childlike wonder, chicken wings in …

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Artist Beatriz Vasquez

Join us as we talk to artist Beatriz Vasquez. We discuss how Kurt’s creative process has influenced Beatriz, what papel picado is, why being an …

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Robert Montgomery and Kevin Finch

Join us for a talk with musician Wes Montgomery’s son Robert Montgomery and filmmaker Kevin Finch. We discuss the Indianapolis roots of both Wes and …

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How Jon Fishman’s Soul Grows

Join us as we talk to Phish’s Jon Fishman. We discuss the Vonnegut novel that destroyed religion for Jon, dealing with fame, playing the vacuum …

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Kathi Badertscher, PhD

Director of Graduate Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy
Kathi Badertscher, PhD, is Director of Graduate Programs at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Dr. Badertscher teaches a variety of BA, MA, and doctoral courses, including Applying Ethics in Philanthropy and History of Philanthropy. She has participated in several Teaching Vonnegut workshops and is a member of the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library. Dr. Badertscher has been a guest speaker on ethics in philanthropy, including at the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners – Indianapolis Council; Association of Fundraising Professionals – Indiana Chapter; and Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China. In 2019 she received IUPUI Office for Women, Women’s Leadership Award for Newcomer Faculty. In 2019 and 2020 she received the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Graduate Teaching Award.
Dr. Badertscher’s publications include “Fundraising for Advocacy and Social Change,” co-authored with Shariq Siddiqui in Achieving Excellence in Fundraising, 5th ed., 2022; “Insulin at 100: Indianapolis, Toronto, Woods Hole, and the ‘Insulin Road,’ co-authored with Christopher Rutty, Pharmacy in History (2020); and three articles in the Indiana Magazine of History: “A New Wishard Is on the Way,” “Evaline Holliday and the Work of Community Service,” and “Social Networks in Indianapolis during the Progressive Era.” Her chapters on social welfare history will appear in three upcoming edited volumes on the history of philanthropy, including “The Legacy of Edna Henry and Her Contributions to the IU School of Social Work,” Women at Indiana University: Views of the Past and the Future, edited by Andrea Walton, Indiana University Press, 2022 (forthcoming). Dr. Badertscher is also the Philanthropy and Nonprofits Consulting Editor for the forthcoming Digital Encyclopedia of Indianapolis, edited by David J. Bodenhamer and Elizabeth Van Allen, Indiana University Press, 2021. Dr. Badertscher is an active volunteer in the Indianapolis community. At present, she is a Coburn Place Safe Haven Board Member and a Children’s Bureau/Families First Brand and Marketing Advisor. Dr. Badertscher holds the MA in History from Indiana University and the MA and PhD in philanthropic studies from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Volunteer With KVML

Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library Volunteer Application

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions about this application’s content.