In addition to our recent additions (!), I thought I'd let you know what new subscribers get in their email once they're added to the list.
Currently, every new addition to the mailing list gets four forwarded emails from me:
1) Doc's kickoff Greetings email discussing everyone's plans for the summer celebrations. 2) James Loehlin's Anniversary email going into further detail about the ambitious celebration plans the Shakespeare-at-Winedale program is offering. 3) Doc's Let Wonder Be Familiar message from about a month in to the mailing list. 4) Doc's Update including SXSW story and an appeal for Camp Shakespeare.
I think many of us were initially concerned there would be a lot of email traffic on this mailing list -- as most of you know, this has not been the case. I think under the circumstances everyone should feel free to communicate to the list at large -- judiciously -- anything you reasonably think would be of interest to all of us. This probably includes anything that's Winedale-related, or Shakespeare-related, or Anciano-related -- but obviously Viagra or porn spam, or chain letters from Nigeria, are unwelcome. Be prudent as well as perfect. Social salutations rather than sales solicitations. You get the idea.
We're still missing many alums. When I have time I try to reach out to people we've missed so far. (For example, Rich Armington from 1980 is still in Austin, apparently, and I've given him a call. You should too.) If each of us reaches out to at least one person we remember from Winedale who's not currently on the mailing list, and if only half of those people opted in, we'd increase the our 160+ mailing list by as much as another 80 people or so. I think we should give this a try, if only to make sure that no one misses the reunion events who would want to be there. Also, reaching out to our confreres is just generally a good thing in itself. So I urge you to make a little time to do so.
I've really enjoyed the one-on-one correspondences I've been having with my old friends, but I always feel a little pang when I remember they're not shared with the group at large. So, don't be *too* afraid to share something with the larger list. And definitely don't be afraid to contact old friends from Shakespeare at Winedale and invite them to join us.
--Mike