Transylvania University in Lexington, KY will be celebrating 45 years of Larkspur Press with readings by Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Mary Ann Taylor-Hall. This will occur on Wednesday, October 9. Go HERE for complete information.
In the wake of last weekend's (September 14) Front Porch Republic 10th anniversary conference on "The Legacy of Wendell Berry," some who attended have offered their reflections.
Scott P. Richert, publisher of Our Sunday Visitor, wondered about the affinity of Catholics for Wendell Berry's thought in "Incarnation and human scale."
The principle of subsidiarity — that everything should be handled at the lowest level possible — lies at the heart of Catholic social teaching. It’s what attracts Catholics who understand it to the work of localists like Mr. Berry and the Front Porch Republic. In order to accomplish anything, we must first realize that we can’t do everything. We’re called to make disciples of all nations, but the first step in doing so — and possibly the last — is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Russell Arben Fox considers the tendency of Mr. Berry's thought to run across a range of political/ideological categories in "A Socialist on the Porch."
This gathering--the largest which FPR has ever organized, and one of their best--had Berry's life and work as its centerpiece. The 85-year-old novelist, essayist, poet, farmer, life-long Democrat, supporter of same-sex marriage, self-described "mad farmer," and all-around contrarian was interviewed by his daughter Mary and spoke with the audience at length. He is no socialist in any formal sense, that's for certain. But he is a man who, from his pastoral place in rural Kentucky, has articulated one of the greatest and most persuasive critiques of capitalism, and its ruinous environmental effects, in all American history.
Front Porch Republic is hosting a one-day conference on The Legacy of Wendell Berry at The University of Louisville - Belknap Campus.
Join us in Louisville on September 14 for FPR's annual conference. This year our focus will be the life and legacy of Wendell Berry. Speakers include Wendell Berry, Mary Berry, Kate Dalton, Jason Peters, Bill Kauffman, Caleb Stegall, Gracy Olmstead, and Susannah Black.
For ticket information, go HERE.
At the Kentucky Book Fair on November 17, 2018, Wendell “I don’t take what I write all that seriously” Berry spoke with Jon Parrish Peede, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The event was moderated by Dr. Morris Grubbs of The University of Kentucky. HERE IS A LINK to an audio recording of that conversation.
This year's KY Arts and Letters Day [November 10, 2018] at The Berry Center featured a very special keynote for our NEA Big Read: Agrarian Literary League of Henry County. Kentucky authors Wendell Berry and Crystal Wilkinson joined in conversation with moderator Debbie Barker to talk about their work, Ernest Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying, growing up in and writing about rural places, and the legacy of black agrarianism in the South. Visit berrycenter.org to subscribe to our newsletter and find us on Facebook and Instagram for more information about events and goings-on at the center. Filmed live on location in New Castle, Kentucky.
Wendell Berry, always one of the bestselling Kentucky authors at the book fair, will speak at noon [Saturday, November 17] on the UK Main Stage, then will sign “The Farm” beginning at 1 p.m. Larkspur Press originally produced a limited run of Berry’s illustrated poem, “The Farm,” in 1995. A new offset printed edition from Counterpoint Press has reproduced that gorgeous work in a lovely, understated gift package. Berry – an essayist, novelist and poet from Henry County – was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2010.
Read more at The State-Journal.
The Berry Center is hosting the 4th Annual Kentucky Art & Letters Day on November 10.
This year, we are thrilled to be joined by beloved Kentucky authors: Maurice Manning, Mary Ann Taylor-Hall, Bobbie Ann Mason, Gray Zeitz, Leslie Shane, Rebecca Gayle Howell, Jonathan Greene, Maureen Morehead, and Ed McClanahan for our 4th annual Kentucky Arts & Letters Day. The keynote will feature Wendell Berry in conversation with Crystal Wilkinson, poet and author of "Birds of Opulence", "Blackberries, Blackberries", and "Water Street". This conversation also marks the finale of our Agrarian Literary League (ALL) program.
Our gallery will host talented wood engravers Carolyn Whitesel, Joanne Price, John Lackey, and Wesley Bates - all with deep connections to famed Kentucky letterpress, Larkspur Press.
For full information on this November 10th event, go HERE.
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.
Celebrating the release of the book 'The Art of Loading Brush: New Agrarian Writings' by Wendell Berry and new Larkspur Press titles with readings and art exhibit.
The Berry Center will be hosting its 4th annual open house Saturday, November 11th from 11:00am-5:00pm. This year’s celebration will feature:
• The world premiere of “For the Hog Killing, 1979,” - a collection of photographs by Tanya Berry
• Readings by Kentucky authors, including - Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason, Ed McClanahan, Gray Zeitz, Frank X Walker, Frederick Smock, Erik Reece, Richard Taylor, Mary Ann Taylor-Hall, Maurice Manning, Nana Lampton, Leatha Kendrick, Sue Richards, Trina Pieffer, and Leslie Shane
• Gray Zeitz, Leslie Shane, and the release of new Larkspur Press books
• Vermont composer and musician, Brendan Taaffe, performing
• Bookbinder Gabrielle Fox with her book, "Larkspur Press: Forty Years of Making Letterpress Books In A Rural Kentucky Community 1974-2014"
• Rollin’ Ruby’s food truck
• Refreshments, books, and unique gifts in The Bookstore at The Berry Center.
The Berry Center is located at 111 South Main Street in New Castle, KY. Street parking is available, and a municipal lot is located behind the Center on Carters Alley. For more information about The Berry Center’s Annual Open House, please contact bookstore manager Virginia Aguilar at [email protected] or 502-743-1820.
On November 3, 2017, Wendell Berry will deliver the Keynote Address at SouthWord 2017: A Literary Feast, to be held at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The event is hosted by Southern Lit Alliance (So Lit), a literary arts organization in Chattanooga, Tennessee that was founded in 1952 with a Ford Foundation grant.
See the Schedule of Events HERE.
See Ticket Information HERE.
See an overview of the Feast at The Chattanoogan.