Thank you Doc for citing John Donne's poem, For Whom the Bells Tolls, in a reply to Heather Dolstra's beautiful email about James. The Donne poem still resonates upon each rereading. And my heartfelt thanks for Laurel Loehlin (in an earlier email on this thread) for quoting from Romeo and Juliet: "Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night, And pay no worship to the garish sun."

It's amazing how poems and lyrical verse can have a profound salutary effect on us going through hard times.

When I learned two years ago that James was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, almost immediately Shakespeare's words popped into my mind. The verse lines are from Hamlet, and they're spoken by the Player King: "Our wills and fates do so contrary run, that our devices still are overthrown; our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own." 

In closing, I remember Clayton telling me that James said before a Shakespeare-at-Winedale class this year that there's almost not a thing in life that happens that there's not a line in Shakespeare about it. 

On Tue, Sep 19, 2023 at 11:15 PM 'Alice Gordon' via Shakespeare at Winedale Email List <shakespeare-at-winedale-email-list@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Thank you both, Heather and Doc, for this call and response. It’s a gift.

Love,

Alice

On Sep 19, 2023, at 3:14 PM, James Ayres <jayres@cvctx.com> wrote:

Thank you, Heather.  Your letter prompted this:

by John Donne

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.

On Sep 19, 2023, at 1:07 PM, Heather Dolstra <heather@democracytravel.com> wrote:

Dearest Doc,

 

I have struggled for the past 4 days with such sadness over this news and didn’t know what to do with that feeling, considering that I never met James.   It didn’t even seem right to join in with my own message of condolence.  However, it occurred to me that in the theatre, as in all art, we may not “know” the actor, performer, or artist but that doesn’t mean that we are not profoundly moved by their existence.  In reading all the lovely messages from Ancianos (and those of more recent vintage) I realize that the Winedale family is like a big pool and everything that happens to one of us creates a ripple that is felt by all.   A palpable loss to those of you who had known James for years is also a loss felt by those of us who passed through prior to his arrival on the Winedale stage.

 

With much love to all,

 

Heather Dolstra

 

 

 

From: James Ayres <jayres@cvctx.com> 
Sent: Friday, September 15, 2023 7:05 PM
To: Shakespeare at Winedale 1970-2000 alums <winedale-l@lists.wikimedia.org>; Shakespeare Winedale <shakespeare-at-winedale-email-list@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [Winedale-l] James Loehlin

 

After a lengthy and bold struggle with pancreatic cancer, James has passed away.  We have lost a brilliant colleague, scholar, actor, director, student, and kind friend.  He loved Shakespeare, teaching, and all of his students. And he loved the barn at Winedale.  This is a very sad time.  Please keep Laurel in your thoughts and prayers.

 

Peace and love to every one of you.

 

Love,

 

Doc

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jim (Doc) Ayres

Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas

Founding Director, Shakespeare at Winedale and Camp Shakespeare

Director of Mission, Camp Shakespeare

Jim (Doc) Ayres

Professor Emeritus, The University of Texas

Founding Director, Shakespeare at Winedale and Camp Shakespeare

Director of Mission, Camp Shakespeare

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