Wendell Berry

One of my favorite authors is Wendell Berry. He is a Kentucky farmer and writer. He has written a number of short stories and books that center around the fictional small town of Port William. A personal favorite from his fiction is Jayber Crow.  If I was in a position to do so, I would make every Pastor of smaller communities read Jayber Crow.  The book and character of Jayber Crow offers wisdom. I have used two of his short stories from the collection Watch with Me in Bible studies and presentations.

In his fiction, Berry presents characters that are recognizable and normal human beings who live through love, heartbreak, and death. As Port William is in rural Kentucky, Berry writes of the agricultural shifts and challenges that have materialized with the development of industrialized and mechanized farming. 

Berry is also a poet and essay writer.  Perhaps the most anthologized poem is Manifesto: Mad Farmer Liberation Front. His essays focus primarily on agriculture and agrarian themes. For those of us who give nary a thought to where our food comes from and what it truly costs, his essays are eye-openers. 

In August, Berry turned 90.  This milestone brought a flurry of tributes. The Library of America which just published two volumes of Berry's work, is one source: The Library of America. All of these tributes are worthy reading.  The one that I liked the most comes from outside this collection.  Jonathon Van Maren offers an insightful encomium. 

The list of adjectives associated with Wendell Berry's name includes activist. His family and friends have used the name recognition to develop The Berry Center which have a number of initiatives and projects. One of these projects is partnering with Sterling College to teach young people how to farm.