Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (November 11, 1922 - April 11, 2007), was a writer, lecturer and painter. First published in 1950, he went on to write fourteen novels, four plays, and three short story collections, in addition to countless works of short fiction and nonfiction. Mark Vonnegut is a son of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. He is a pediatrician and the author of a memoir, The Eden Express.