Indianapolis

I myself grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where common speech sounds like a band saw cutting galvanized tin, and employs a vocabulary as un-ornamental as a monkey wrench... I trust my writing most and others seem to trust it most when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am. ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Indianapolis, founded in 1821, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana, and also the county seat of Marion County. It is the 12th largest city in the United States and the 29th largest metropolitan area in the United States.

Quotes

• Can't go west, can't go east
  I'm stuck in Indianapolis
  With a fuel pump that's deceased
  Ten days on the road now
  I'm four hours from my home town
  Is this Hell or Indianapolis
  With no way to get around?
  • The Bottle Rockets "Indianapolis" (1997), written by Brian Henneman from the album 24 Hours a Day

• "Indianapolis, Indiana," said Constant, "is the first place in the United States of America where a white man was hanged for the murder of an Indian. The kind of people who'll hang a white man for murdering an Indian," said Constant, "that's the kind of people for me."
  • Vonnegut, Kurt (1999) [1959] (paperback), The Sirens of Titan, Victor Gollancz Ltd, p. 220 (Also found on page 321 of the 1998 Dial Press trade paperback. Pagination of original printing unknown.) 

• I myself grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, where common speech sounds like a band saw cutting galvanized tin, and employs a vocabulary as un-ornamental as a monkey wrench... I trust my writing most and others seem to trust it most when I sound most like a person from Indianapolis, which is what I am.
  • Vonnegut, Kurt (1970s), Anti-nuke speech given by Kurt Vonnegut at rally in Washington, D. C. republished in Palm Sunday (paperback) by Dial Press, in 1999, page 70, ISBN 0385334265 and Armageddon in Retrospect (paperback), published by Berkley Trade in 1999, page 1, ISBN 0425226891 

• All my jokes are Indianapolis. All my attitudes are Indianapolis. My adenoids are Indianapolis. If I ever severed myself from Indianapolis, I would be out of business. What people like about me is Indianapolis.
  • Vonnegut, Kurt (1986), Commencement Speech at North Central High School, Indiana Historical Society 

• Were you aware, though, that race fans sometimes have something to drink at the race? They want to come up and lick me. I’m not saying anything negative about Indianapolis or the race fans there, because I am one of them.
  • Letterman, David (2015), Interview with Indianapolis Monthly, Indianapolis Monthly 

External links

• Indianapolis' government portal
• Tourist information
• Indianapolis at DMOZ