09/01/2026
I was deeply saddened to learn yesterday of the passing of Wendell Berry. I was fortunate enough to meet him a few times over the years, to hear him speak, and to listen to him read his work aloud. He was always charming, funny, and incredibly humble, never seeming to notice his own fame.
I was first drawn to his writing through his reverence for nature and his deep belief in the importance of place. For sixty years, he made the case that a good life is smaller, slower, and more meaningful. He taught us that physical work especially farming, cooking, and working with your hands, is not a chore to be automated away, but a source of real dignity and joy. Taking care of a specific piece of earth, whether a farm or a small backyard garden, teaches us humility, patience, and gratitude.
The Berry Center, which carries his name and philosophy while serving as an archive for his papers, puts his writings into action by advocating for small farmers, land-conserving communities, and healthy regional economies. Please consider making a gift in his honor to help continue this important work.
I am grateful to have shaken his hand and heard his voice, and I am thankful that his words will continue to do what they have always done: slow us down, point us back to the earth, and remind us that a smaller life, lived well and in place, is truly a life well spent.
Rest well, Mr. Berry.
- Sherry
The Berry Center
berrycenter.org
