Wendell Berry is an American writer and farmer known for his works on agriculture, rural life, and community. He is a recipient of The National Humanities Medal and a member of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Wendell Erdman Berry (born August 5, 1934) is an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer. He is closely identified with rural Kentucky, and many of his works explore themes of agriculture, rural life, and community. Berry is an elected member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, a recipient of The National Humanities Medal, and the Jefferson Lecturer for 2012. He is also a 2013 Fellow of The American Academy of Arts and Sciences and, since 2014, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
The past is our definition. We may strive with good reason to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it. But we will escape it only by adding something better to it.
