2010/38

Pol Hauspie: Priester Muzikant Piloot (250p.)

At the end of the 90s, in the wake of the American tech bubble, a veritable gold rush swept over the Westhoek, Flanders’ rural and sleepy westernmost corner (Belgium), an area very familiar to many Mountaintop regulars. Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products, the homegrown brainchild of Pol Hauspie and Jo Lernout, two of our boys, had become the first Belgian company to list on Nasdaq. Shortly thereafter however, an article in the Wall Street Journal surfaced faulty financial constructions (i.e. the famous Language Development Companies or LDCs), brought the stock price down, and eventually washed the entire company down the gutter, including the quick-rich hopes of thousands of people from the region who had massively invested in the stock, some even having sold their houses to do so.

Priester Muzikant Piloot is Pol Hauspie’s sincere and genuine attempt to come to terms with this life-rocking experience, which robbed him of his money, his wife, his reputation, and his country (Pol Hauspie has been living in South-Africa the last few years), and which turned him into a suicidal alcohol and anti-depressant addict. Piloot (‘pilot’) represents the hard-driving business man who had the upper hand for too long, priester (‘priest’) his suppressed desire to find happiness by helping others, muzikant (‘musician’) the synergy between the two.

Very good.