In Our Only World, Wendell Berry talks about making things in his essay, “Local Economies to Save the Land and the People.” As usual, Wendell is talking about much more than just the stuff we create, but this one point stood out to me as I thought about how little I actually make each day. Read more
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of reading, especially in light of recent statistics that show the number of book readers is diminishing along with the number of young people who read for fun. I started a … Read more
input – noun | in·put | \ˈin-ˌpu̇t\ : advice or opinions that help someone make a decision : information that is put into a computer : something (such as power or energy) that is put into a machine or system I knew I needed a vacation long before we loaded our suitcases in the van and […] Read more
The current issue of The Atlantic lists a series of “ideas of the year,” or “intellectual trends that, for better or for worse, are informing the national conversation and shaping our lives.” Some of them are funny: “old people are cool” or “the long national night of cable TV is over” or this one: “the […] Read more
I was 23. A few weeks earlier, I had quit the newspaper reporting job I had been dreaming about for years, and declared my intent to make a real go at more creative writing, beginning with . . . well, I wasn’t exactly sure. But I had moved four states away from my home state […] Read more
Growing up, people told me I had a nice voice. I joined a traveling choir and sang solos at church on the weekends. When I was a junior, I was asked to sing at graduation. I had always liked singing, but was actually kind of surprised at the compliments. Along the way, though, my […] Read more
Saturday, as I was enjoying the Indy Winter Farmers’ Market with friends, I wasn’t just shopping, though I did make a few purchases. And I wasn’t just consuming, though I did enjoy a freshly made crepe with bananas and nutella. While I was at the farmers’ market on Saturday, I was being liberated from the […] Read more
While Ann and I were on our road trip to see and hear Wendell Berry, we were just outside of the Bloomington area when dusk settled over us and it got downright dark. I confessed to Ann right there in the car about how I’m afraid of driving after dark in the fall during deer […] Read more
For years, I have returned over and over again to the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky, the setting for many of Wendell Berry‘s novels and short stories. I have gotten to know the people and landscape through his vivid descriptions, and at times, I could swear I’ve been there. But I’ve never felt more […] Read more
In the disconnected worlds of suburban living, we often assume different identities based on which end of our commute we happen to be on. At work, we are employee or boss. At home, we are mom or dad. We interact as friend or activist in public places, and at church, we become the congregrate. But […] Read more
