At the SouthWord Lit Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee on November 3, 2017, Mr. Berry read his story "The Art of Loading Brush," the title story of his most recently published collection of fiction, essays, and poetry. Many thanks to Jane M. Schreck for bringing this to my attention.
That’s the home Tanya Berry has made, in a rural community that endures — at least for now — because of people like her. Over those years, she has honed skills in farm work and the domestic arts, while serving as perhaps the most important fiction editor almost no one has heard of, married to one of the most important American writers almost everyone knows.
All this started more than a half-century ago with her leap of faith that an artsy city kid could learn, from scratch, what was needed to make a farm home. She grew up mostly in California, moving around often, and the early years of their marriage took them from Kentucky back to California, then to Europe and New York — part of what she once assumed would be a cosmopolitan life with a writer and academic.
But Wendell wanted to go home, and Tanya wanted to put down roots somewhere.
“He needed to be home, and I was flexible because I didn’t belong anywhere in particular. So, I took this on with him,” she says. “It’s not always been perfect. None of it has been perfect. But it’s been right. It’s been the right thing.”
Read the complete essay by Robert Jensen at Yes! Magazine.
I was introduced to the agrarian world of the writer, Wendell Berry, in my intro to philosophy class in college. I have been an avid reader of Berry ever since. His novels, essays, and poetry, have been a rich source of comfort, hope, and rebuke in my life.
There is something to Berry’s writing that I am drawn to. He carries a degree of elusivity that requires constant unpacking. It contains a truthfulness that I am not always able to exhaust. His prose are beautiful and turns of phrase poignant. His characters are rich and their relationships dense.
Last night, I went with my wife and a few friends to watch the film, Look and See, which is a documentary portrait of his life. There were two moments in the film that brought me to tears and put words to unexpressed elements of my attraction to Wendell’s writing. I want to share them quick before I write a longer post reflecting on the film as a whole.
Read the full article by Kris Rolls at Being-in-the-World.
Artist Micah Bell has produced a unique set of prints and writings inspired by the novels of Wendell Berry. They will be available for pre-order beginning tomorrow, November 7. See more information at Micah Bell Art.
The Membership
$125, PRE-ORDER NOVEMBER 7
- 8 limited edition art prints by Micah Bell - printed on 100% handmade, recycled paper in an edition of 100. Signed, numbered, and stamped.
- 8 writings by artists, authors, and musicians based on the featured books and prints: David Dark, Brooke Waggoner, Stu Garrard, Sandra McCracken, JT Daly, Wesley Bates, Flo Paris Oakes, and Robert Campbell
- 1 writing by Micah Bell
- 1 Port William logo nickel lapel pin
- 1 Port William Membership Member keychain
- All prints are protected in a plastic covering and collected in a custom box adorned with Port William logo designed by Micah Bell