Sam Shepard makes up part of the mosaic of cultural influences that formed me.
Once you start discovering art for yourself you follow the paths that were created by those that went before. What they love, you love. Sam Shepard was simply a handsome actor to me and then I fell for Patti Smith, so I fell for Sam Shepard. So I fell for… This is how it continues.
I loved his writing. True West is brilliant and it’s one of those plays where you want to see what every actor does with the roles. I loved his acting. He will always be Spud from Steel Magnolias. I loved the people who loved him and the artists he loved.
Patti Smith has written beautifully about him in the New Yorker but the best thing I’ve read is this article from the Guardian on people who met and worked with him. His advice to Lynn Nottage says it all:
“Fuck these people. This is your writing. Next time you do it, you have to live every single moment and own all of your words. And not be intimidated, not be scared.”