Wendell Berry: 2012 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities at the Kennedy Center

“We should give ourselves to things that are true, just, and beautiful. A large machine and a large, toxic, eroded cornfield, subjectively speaking, is not an affectionate sign.”

Wendell Berry, a man keenly set on preserving and protecting creation, has upset many and influenced many more. He is a humble man. A farmer from Port Royal, Kentucky the Kentucky River just south of it’s opening into the Ohio.

Berry has written much, said much, and done much. He is a person who does not fold on his words, but rather, has persisted in his effort towards recovering his plot of land in the rolling hills of Kentucky. That’s not to say Berry hasn’t made mistakes along the way. He admits as much. But he is a simple, honest, and a trustworthy man who has been genuine and true in his pursuits.

At times, Berry can be difficult to understand, but never is he a man without wisdom. I am linking to his 2012 Jefferson Lecture on the Humanities at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. I hope you will take the time to consume the wisdom exuding from the sage known as Wendell Berry. He will go down in history as an influential figure and a one we should have listened to sooner.