Sam Shepard in the fall of 2016. Photo by Chad Batka for the New York Times.
“I feel like I’ve never had a home. You know? I feel related to the country, to this country, and yet I don’t know exactly where I fit in. And the same thing applies to the theater. I don’t know exactly how well I fit into the scheme of things. Maybe that’s good, you know, that I’m not in a niche. But there’s always this kind of nostalgia for a place, a place where you can reckon with yourself. Now I’ve found that what’s most valuable about that place is not the place itself but the other people; that through other people you can find a recognition of each other. I think that’s where the real home is.”
New York Times Obituary:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/theater/sam-shepard-dead.html
I just wanted to pay my respects to the man who has influenced so much of who I am and what I feel as an artist.
His words are like none I had ever read. And his rawness defines what I continue to strive for in art. Playing Shelly in "Buried Child" was one of the best experiences I was ever gifted to have. I long for the day I might speak your words again.
Thank you, Mr. Shepard, for all you've contributed to the theatre and culture all around the world. May you rest in peace.
With Love and Respect,
JG