A garland for Ashley Halpe
 One
of the affable and friendly academics is Professor Emeritus Ashley Halpe.
The Ashley Halpe Felicitation Committee published Glimpses of a life: A
Garland for Ashley. People who matter know very well Ashley is an
artist, artiste, dramatist, poet, translator and with many more
accomplishments. Besides he is a scholar, critic and teacher.
Professor Ashley Halpe
|
Ashley Halpe’s painting Landscape with Moon and other paintings in
miniature and a portrait of the subject adorns the front and back cover
of the 308 page anthology. There is also a fine picture of Halpe’ in the
inside front page. Last year Halpe celebrated his 75th birthday and had
completed 50 years of university teaching.
One must thank two Lankan critics whose presentation and style of
writing in English I admire very much for compiling and editing the book
with the assistance from Ashley’s spouse Bridgette. The critics are
Tissa Jayatilaka and Jayantha Dhanapala, famous people in their own
right.
Look at the array of the contributors whose writing too is an
exposition of different viewpoints and manner of writing
Contributors
Apart from the editors’ introduction there are pieces of writing by
Bishop Vianney Fernando, Speaker W J M Lokubandara, Prof Gamini
Samaranayake. Prof Harischandra Abeygunawardena, Lilamani de Silva,
Ananda Abeydeera, Tissa Abeysekera, Jean Arasanayagam, Yasmin Azad nee
Abdul Rahunan, Dennis Bartholmeuz, Ranga Chandrarathne, Rienzie Crusz,
Keki Darruwalla, C. R. de Silva, Lakshmi de Silva, Jayantha Dhanapala,
K.N. O. Dharmadasa, Anthony don Michael, Peter Elkin, “Elwira”,
Shavindra Fernando, G.H. Asoka, Shelagh Goonewardene, Werner Habicht,
Aparna Halpe’, Victor Happuarachchi, Gamini Haththotuwegama, John
Clifford Holt, Nalini Jayasuriya, Patrick Jayasuriya, Wilfrid Jayasuriya,
Chandani Lokuge, Ernest MacIntyre, Sandaruwan Madduma Bandara, Jayanta
Mahapatra, Elisabeth and Robin Marleyn, Udaya Meddegama, Derrick Mendis,
Ranjani Mendis, Meenakshi Mukherhee, Carl Muller, Richard Murphy,
Parvathy Nagasunderam, B. D. Nandadeva, Mohanranjith Narendran, Anthony
Newman, G. Pieris, Egerton Perera, Gaston Perera, Valentine Perera,
Siddarthan Perinbanayagam, P.D. Premasiri, Dharmajith Punarjeewa, Anne
Ranasinghe, Angelo Rasanayagam, Michael Roberts, Angela Rodaway, Nimal
Sanderatne, S.H. Sarath, Neluka de Silva, K.S. Sivakumaran, S. Sumathy,
Harish Trivedi, Gerald Weales, D.P.M. Weerakkody, Kamala Wijeratne, and
Erick Williams.
It would be of interest to our readers that Prof Chelva Kanaganayakam
has also brought out a collection of essays in his honour - Fetschrift-
on behalf of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES)
Here are few excerpts selected randomly that show us what kind of a
man Prof Ashley Halpe’ as portrayed by his admirers:
Clad very simply, yet elegantly, in a bush-shirt and trousers, with
sandals on his feet and a cloth bag of books and notes slung over his
left shoulder, he made us feel comfortable immediately with his
disarming smile. It was the beginning of a very enriching period as we
delved into the classics be they, verse, prose or drama under his able
guidance and scholarship.
- Vianney Fernando.
Ashley’s writing, whether prose or verse, critical or creative has a
Warmth and an immediacy of feeling. Thy are almost always written from
the heart. For me he is the only critic in my time who is consistent
with Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote: ‘Works of art are of an infinite
loneliness and with nothing to be so little appreciated as with
criticism. Only love can grasp and hold and fairly judge them.’ Ashley
is poet-critic -scholar, all rolled into one who seem to be always in
love with what he writes about. I am yet to see anything cynical or
cruel coming from his pen or from his lips.
- Tissa Abeysekera
Ashley Halpe’s best poetry lies in his ability to share his
perceptions, whether of delight or unease with the reader.
- Lakshmi de Silva
He believed consistently in what Cardinal Newman wrote of in An Idea
of a University - “a University seems to be in its essence, a place for
the communication and circulation of thought, by means of personal
intercourse, through a wide extent of country” And so, we shall continue
to be telling this with a sigh - of relief and joy. Ashley Halpe took
the path less travelled by and that has made all the difference - for
all of us as his friends and his students.
- Jayantha Dhanapala.
His teaching is still in demand not only in higher English studies
but in Fine Arts too wherein his services are I think indispensable,
considering the debatable mushroom qualifies bang banded a boy in these
fields.
- Gamini Haththotuwegama
He is a small man with a great head and heart
- Wilfrid Jyasuriya.
...it crossed my mind that Ashley was culturally, a complete and
eminent Sri Lankan, yet sustained by a universal base.
- Ernest MacIntyre.
There are many who have written very fine remarks in this volume but
the best thing would be to read this very valuable edition by the two
literary figures.
[email protected] |
