Dear
Friends,
Some
of you may know already that UCSC's Theater Arts Department hosted an
international conference on PEER GYNT this week in conjunction with our
school's production of the play. This was a very special production, requiring
two years of preliminary research, and garnering support from the Norwegian
consulate and many other interested parties. I was the lead dramaturg (of a
team of seven!) on the production, and of course my first, last, and many
intermediate stops in my research were to Brian - his books, my notes from his
lectures, and himself in person. We used his translation, his research, his
website, and his direct advice throughout the process.
Of
course we arranged for him to join us in Santa Cruz this past weekend (March 9)
to participate in a conference attached to the production. Also in attendance
at this conference were some of Brian's true peers in scholarship, including
Dame Vigdis Ystad (head of Ibsen Studies at Olso University, and recently
knighted by the King of Norway for her work in this area), the renowned
folklorist Sverre Morkhagen, the great performance scholar from Israel Freddie
Rokem, the celebrated ibsenist Sarah Bryant-Bertail, the RSC actor and Ibsen
expert Paul Whitworth, and several other luminaries of the field from around
the world, all of whom had known Brian's work intimately and also himself
personally.
About
a month ago Brian called to inform me that he could not attend the conference
because of his upcoming surgery, but he very kindly completed the paper anyway
and asked me to read it in his place. Everyone here was very disappointed but
we made arrangements to have Brian reschedule his trip for when he was feeling
better.
Francis
Pitt very kindly called me last Saturday to let me know that Brian had passed,
and I realized that I was in possession of Brian's last piece of writing, and I
had the honor of reading it, a grievous honor that I would have given my right
hand not to have had.
But
I had the opportunity to eulogize Brian just a little bit at the conference, to
tell a few funny stories about him, to talk about his work as a teacher and a
colleague and a dear friend, for these great minds who had known him only as
another great mind, and not as a human being. I talked about you all, and how
much you meant to him, and how much he meant to me. And I read his beautiful
paper, which was on trolls.
I
just felt that it was my responsibility to write to you all and tell you this.
For my part, I feel extremely fortunate that I had ten years of friendship and
discipleship of this man, without whom my life as a person AND as an
intellectual would have been significantly poorer.
My
warmest regards to you all. Please forward this to anyone I may have neglected
to include who should have it.
-Michael
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