Berry's farming legacy shaped through educational partnership at St. Catharine
Berry established a farming program at St. Catharine College, institutionalizing his agricultural educational philosophy.
Event / Society
Wendell Berry Death
Wendell Berry, celebrated American author, poet, farmer and environmental activist, died on August 31, 2026, at age 92 at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky. The Kentucky-born writer spent most of his career farming and writing over 40 books advocating for sustainable agriculture, rural life and environmental stewardship. He received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2012 and was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.
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2026-09-02 to 2026-11-07 · UTC publication dates
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Berry became first living author inducted into Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame in 2015
Wendell Berry was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame in 2015 as the first living author to receive this honor.
Berry left academic career at NYU to return to Kentucky farming in 1968
Wendell Berry departed from his prestigious position as an English professor at New York University after just two years to return to his native Henry County, Kentucky. Berry had previously studied at the University of Kentucky and Stanford University. He made the decision to leave the New York literary world to pursue farming and writing on his family's land, a choice he documented in his 1968 essay 'A Native Hill.'
Berry farmed at Lane's Landing in Henry County from 1965 until his death
Wendell Berry lived and worked continuously at his farm, Lane's Landing, in Henry County, Kentucky, from 1965 throughout his entire life. This farm served as the primary source of inspiration for his literary work and environmental activism.
Berry handwrote work and used 1956 typewriter throughout life
Wendell Berry was famously resistant to modern technology. He handwrote his literary work and then typed it on a typewriter he purchased new in 1956, which he never replaced during his lifetime. He never owned a computer.
Berry published over 40 books spanning fiction, poetry, and essays
Wendell Berry was a prolific author who published more than 40 books during his lifetime, including novels such as 'Nathan Coulter' and 'A Place on Earth,' poetry collections including 'A Timbered Choir: The Sabbath Poems 1979-1997,' and numerous essays on agriculture, environmentalism, and rural life.
Berry wrote opposition to Vietnam War in 1968 poem
Wendell Berry published the poem 'Against the War in Vietnam' in 1968, using sharp prose to comment on American military involvement and environmental destruction caused by industrial warfare.
Berry received National Book Critics Circle lifetime achievement award in 2016
Wendell Berry received the National Book Critics Circle's Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 for his significant body of work in American literature.
Berry received Guggenheim Fellowship in 1961
Wendell Berry received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1961, a prestigious award recognizing his creative and scholarly work.
Wendell Berry, Kentucky author and environmentalist, dies at age 92
Wendell Berry, a prolific American author, poet, and environmental activist known for his advocacy of sustainable farming and rural life, died on August 31, 2026, at his home in Port Royal, Kentucky. Berry was born on August 5, 1934, in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent most of his life farming and writing on his family's land in Henry County, Kentucky, which had been farmed by his family for seven generations before him.
Berry received National Humanities Medal from President Obama in 2012
Wendell Berry was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama in 2012 in recognition of his contributions to American literature and environmental thought.
Berry sued University of Kentucky in 2020 to prevent mural removal
Wendell Berry sued the University of Kentucky to prevent the removal of a purportedly racially offensive mural on campus during the racial disputes of 2020. Despite his legal action, Berry acknowledged the painful historical reality that his ancestors had contributed to the displacement of Indigenous peoples and the institution of slavery in Kentucky.
Berry partnered with St. Catharine College to launch Berry Farming Program
Wendell Berry briefly partnered with the Catholic St. Catharine College in Springfield, Kentucky, to launch the Berry Farming Program, though the college closed in 2016.
Berry received Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award in 2013
Wendell Berry received the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award in 2013 in recognition of his outstanding contributions to American thought and letters.
Berry received T.S. Eliot Prize and Aiken Taylor Award for poetry
Wendell Berry was honored with the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Aiken Taylor Award for his significant contributions to American poetry throughout his career.
Berry was named Jefferson Lecturer by National Endowment for the Humanities in 2012
Wendell Berry was named the National Endowment for the Humanities' Jefferson Lecturer in 2012, a prestigious honor recognizing his distinguished intellectual achievement.
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Berry's lifetime of honors recognized his cultural and literary influence
Berry received seven major honors including the National Humanities Medal and lifetime achievement recognition from the National Book Critics Circle.
Kentucky author and farmer Wendell Berry dies at 92
Kentucky author Wendell Berry, who published 40+ books while farming for six decades, died at 92.