Wendell E. Berry, an esteemed novelist and poet, devoted his life to cultivating both the land and language. He resided on family farmland in Henry County, Kentucky, living up to the legacy of his lineage. Berry passed away at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky at the age of 92.
Early Life and Career
Berry began his writing journey in academia. He attended the University of Kentucky and Stanford University before securing a notable English professorship at New York University by age 28. However, urban life did not suit him, prompting a return to his Kentucky roots.
In his 1968 essay, A Native Hill, Berry expressed the conscious choice to embrace his family’s land. “Initially, it was mine by coincidence; now it is mine by choice,” he wrote, marking his desire to remain there indefinitely.
Connection to Land and Critique of Modern Practices
Berry’s Henry County farm inspired his environmental writings and criticism of industrial agriculture. He avoided technology, valuing handwritten work over computerized convenience. His 1956 typewriter served him throughout his career.
Berry’s writings captured the essence of slowing down to appreciate life’s details. His 2001 poem “June Wind” exemplifies this approach:
“Light and wind are running
Over the headed grass
As though the hill had
Melted and now flowed.”
He also addressed political themes, as seen in his 1968 poem “Against the War in Vietnam”:
“In the name of ourselves we ride at the wheels of our engines,
in the name of Plenty devouring all,
the exhaust of our progress falling deadly on villages and fields we do not see.
We are prepared for millions of little deaths.”
Recognition and Legacy
President Barack Obama awarded Berry the National Humanities Medal in 2012. In 2015, he was the first living author inducted into the Kentucky Writer’s Hall of Fame.
In a 1998 All Things Considered interview, Berry was reluctant to advise young people. Yet, he suggested they find a place to settle and learn its history, fauna, flora, and community.
Berry’s legacy is a timeless lesson in observing and cherishing the world around us.
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