The Star Child Goes Nova: Arthur C. Clarke going up at 90

Another passing, shooting, flaming soul goes rocketing (into the heavens/to Heaven). Interesting set of phrases there. Arthur C. Clarke, author of 2001, A Space Odyssey; and the subsequent 2010, 2061, 3001. My favorite, I think, was 2010 - it seemed the most mythic.

Clarke's work was always hopeful: for the wonders that technology could unfold to us, for the exploration of space, and most of all for the future of the human spirit, no matter the form.


For more, see his foundation's website here and a news story about his going up here.

Here is a subversive website that illegally hosts some of his works. Don't go to it and read his novels and stories for free.

UPDATE: Here is a farewall video from Clarke on the occasion of his 90th birthday.

You're The Only One Who Knows

I was searching my computer for the Billy Joel song So It Goes, just because I need to hear it every few weeks, when I realized that it was on my other computer, and rather than boot that one up, I punched "so it goes" into youtube, assuming that a music video would come up and I could hear the song.

While that page was loading, I began talking to my friend Austin on a instant message chat. He asked how my students were doing, and I said "some are passing, some aren't...but so it goes" just thinking of the song. But that made him think of Vonnegut, who he's been reading intensely for several months now, and the line from "Slaughter-House Five."

So, interesting, yes. But when I turn back to youtube to see what my search brought up, it was this video, which is a lovely tribute to Vonnegut, but uses Billy Joel's song. I had seen it a year or so ago when Vonnegut had just died, so it goes.

I think this sort of idea that "there are no accidents" is probably something that Vonnegut would have disagreed with - most of his writing suggests to me that life is essentially random and that we might as well go along with it: embracing what is rather than imposing a make-believe order. I disagree with him (if I am accurately reporting his stance), but enjoy his writing nonetheless.

Kurt Vonnegut died on April 11, 2007, so it goes.