tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post6749760740016977968..comments2024-03-22T10:51:23.567-05:00Comments on Faith, Fiction, Friends: Wendell Berry's "That Distant Land"Glynnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10802111972232088511noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-79586847746336283582010-04-13T08:29:46.615-05:002010-04-13T08:29:46.615-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Alan W. Richardsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02159384536790874212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-51043465037276026592010-04-13T08:28:57.439-05:002010-04-13T08:28:57.439-05:00I read The Boundary about 10 years ago and found i...I read The Boundary about 10 years ago and found it very touching. His walk back home from the fence, in which he seems to teeter on the edge of death's portal, was particularly poignant.<br /><br />When we see the inexorable shift of humanity from agrarian to industrial-commercial it is natural to wonder what we might be missing, what good in life might we be living without. Certainly, few have such "spiritual reverence" for the land around us.<br /><br />However, might I suggest that there is more than a little romanticism in this? Certainly Berry has a strong affection for land and rural community; to him it is rich with meaning - a meaning he mournfully sees as dimishing. But did all the people who lived in such a setting, whose livelihood depended on the land, feel that way? Does this sort of writing appeal to them, or is it poetic nostalgia for those who live in a very different world?<br /><br />Each of us has the capacity to enjoy deeply certain aspects of life. For some, the "spiritual reverence" may be for construction: the smell of the fresh-cut pine timbers, the whirring of a distant buzz-saw, the joy of working oustide on a sunny day, and the true satisfaction that comes when you stand back and see what the work of your hands has produced: something real, something tangible, something lasting. Or perhaps for some that reverence applies to health care, or software development, or music, or golf, or ...<br /><br />We love to escape into the fascinating world of other's imaginations (see: movies, books etc), but we must remember that those are only short vacations - and that real life for us is all around. We can sometimes get caught up in what we don't have, forgetting to appreciate what we do... that the grass always seems a little greener in somebody else's dreams.Alan W. Richardsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02159384536790874212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-18443312316668094082010-04-12T21:34:06.554-05:002010-04-12T21:34:06.554-05:00A blogging friend introduced me to Mr. Berry. I r...A blogging friend introduced me to Mr. Berry. I read "Hannah Coulter" a few weeks ago. It was wonderful. I am ready for more!Lindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14937532276250199445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-84953897301815196612010-04-12T19:55:33.606-05:002010-04-12T19:55:33.606-05:00We are stewards of memory -- beautiful thought Gly...We are stewards of memory -- beautiful thought Glynn.<br /><br />And ah yes, Wendell Berry. A must read anywhere, anytime, anything.Louise Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13522775693728655487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-7268356220040163942010-04-12T17:50:47.421-05:002010-04-12T17:50:47.421-05:00Missing out on such a one makes me feel seriously ...Missing out on such a one makes me feel seriously remiss. Yes, this is a confession. Gordon, where are those wafers? You sure know how to salt our oats Mr. Young.Kathleen Overbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12684519598333961438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-88850095819620498342010-04-12T17:30:12.348-05:002010-04-12T17:30:12.348-05:00good article, glynn.good article, glynn.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-90631893183504517332010-04-12T14:28:26.800-05:002010-04-12T14:28:26.800-05:00Thanks for rec, Glynn! I've read his novels an...Thanks for rec, Glynn! I've read his novels and poetry, but didn't even know about the short stories.Megan Willomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11494508400178014999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-469205693878988812010-04-12T13:11:31.571-05:002010-04-12T13:11:31.571-05:00Berry is in a class by himself. Everything he writ...Berry is in a class by himself. Everything he writes is a feast for the mind.Billy Coffeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08988347213957444145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-49154369817514374802010-04-12T12:07:06.876-05:002010-04-12T12:07:06.876-05:00I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Berry twice whi...I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Berry twice while I lived in Lexington, KY. He is an amazing person, and yes, ready anything by him. Poet, novelist, essayist, philosopher--the man is truly an inspiration to yours truly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791261486111154318.post-22657091675825736032010-04-12T09:39:44.729-05:002010-04-12T09:39:44.729-05:00I couldn't agree with you more: Read something...I couldn't agree with you more: Read something, anything, by Berry.Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13290283101378474845noreply@blogger.com