A fire-eater in space

June 4, 2009 7:24 AM

We previously lamented the lack of a real writer in space. Well, at least now we will have a poetic and social fire-eater.
posted by bru (15 comments total)

Bakground: Guy Laliberté.
posted by bru at 7:28 AM on June 4

Is it just me or does it feel like Laliberté is a long way from his roots? And not in a good way?
posted by Big Fat Tycoon at 7:37 AM on June 4

It's not enough the Cirque du Soleil has infested all of Las Vegas? They have to start colonizing space now?
posted by Joe Beese at 7:45 AM on June 4

NASA could always just send astronauts to Iowa for a semester or two of writing workshop before blastoff, thereby giving meaning to two 20th Century American institutions that appear to have lost their purpose in the 21st.
posted by notyou at 7:53 AM on June 4

Is it just me or does MetaFilter lament a lot of really weird shit?
posted by Mister_A at 8:05 AM on June 4

What, no ninjas?
posted by tommasz at 8:18 AM on June 4

There's a fair amount of poetry about space already, but I've yet to see some really good fire-eating about space.
posted by DU at 8:20 AM on June 4

It it me, or is his One-Drop Foundation badly named?
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:26 AM on June 4

I can't, despite ten minutes of trying, figure out what "poetic" means here. It's basically supposed to connote "good," while gesturing at the kind of fragile and poignant human condition that we all inhabit and create, right? Like when people called "Lost in Translation" a poetic movie?

Besides that, good luck on your space journey and my water awareness, circus-show man!
posted by sleevener at 8:47 AM on June 4 [2 favorites has favorites]

NASA could always just send astronauts to Iowa for a semester or two of writing workshop before blastoff, thereby giving meaning to two 20th Century American institutions that appear to have lost their purpose in the 21st.

Ah ha -- so that's why the new Star Trek film has that stupid scene of the Enterprise being built in Iowa! Coincidence? I think not!
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 8:57 AM on June 4

I can't, despite ten minutes of trying, figure out what "poetic" means here.

From seeing his video conference, he said that he plans to work with Quebec poet Claude Péloquin (presumably to read poetry from orbit).

I'd suppose that he can't present himself as a scientist nor use his time on the space station to do scientific experiments like Mark Shuttleworth and others did. Looks like he wants to use it to give more exposure to his foundation (the social part) and, as an artist, he can certainly not do any fire eating or acrobatics up there. Poetry seems artistic and harmless enough for the space environment. But he is a show man and he is surrounded by a lot of creative people. Wouldn't surprise me if he managed to make some kind of show in the space station. Personally, I think he should. Asimov, Farmer, Simak, Heinlein, Spinrad, Varley would love the idea.
posted by bru at 9:52 AM on June 4

It it me, or is his One-Drop Foundation badly named?

Awful catchy, though.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:29 AM on June 4

he said that he plans to work with Quebec poet Claude Péloquin

Ah, okay. The video conference wasn't loading when I tried earlier.
posted by sleevener at 1:09 PM on June 4

1. Make lots of money
2. Start foundation
3. Get a ticket to ISS billed to your non-profit to avoid tax, profit..?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 2:24 PM on June 4

You know, he's going to get up there, and we're going to read his poetry, slap our heads and say, "we should have sent a fucking astronaut."
posted by bicyclefish at 9:54 PM on June 4 [1 favorite has favorites]