4 ms·

Tangentially related, Wendell Berry's short stories & novels are an excellent read. They all take place in the same fictional small town and are remarkably cons

Tangentially related, Wendell Berry's short stories & novels are an excellent read. They all take place in the same fictional small town and are remarkably consistent with one another in terms of timeline, genealogy, and geography. I would highly recommend them.

RaoulP 4y ago
Thanks, I didn’t realise he was a writer. That does provide some context.
_carbyau_ 4y ago
Remarkably consistent huh? I wonder whether the process has much to do with that: "My wife types my work on a Royal standard typewriter bought new in 1956 and as good now as it was then. As she types, she sees things that are wrong and marks them with small checks in the margins. She is my best critic because she is the one most familiar with my habitual errors and weaknesses. She also understands, sometimes better than I do, what ought to be said" Seems like an old school "behind every great man" thing.
- themadturk 4y ago
  It helps to realize that Berry's whole outlook on life was wedded to the idea that the best life is one anchored around one's home -- hence his ideas that good technology is purchased close to home, and repaired close to home, and that one's first best editor is found at home. Most published writers, especially those published before the golden age of self-publishing, worked with editors, and his wife was (and probably still is) that editor. It's not as if he doesn't give her credit for her part in his literary work. (Plus, men of his era didn't usually learn to type unless they had reason or inclination to.)
  - _carbyau_ 4y ago
    It is absolutely a situation born of it's time. Financially no doubt she was covered. Should worse come to worst, by the 1980's divorce could net her significant financial worth of the partnership. But social credit for her achievements were rather small. It is one thing to have an editor, but quite another for the editor to be wedded to the job for just one writer. Every story/book bore his name, no matter that he happily credits her work in his personal missives. And so social standards changing in this regard is for the better. But it's not like I think he is a monster - he is a product of his day as much as we are of ours.
    - themadturk 4y ago
      For a bit more on Tanya Berry's perspective on this: https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/solidarity-economy/2017/12/12/the-woman-beside-wendell-berry-the-most-important-fiction-editor-almost-no-one-has-heard-of https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/solidarity-economy/2017/12...
      - _carbyau_ 4y ago
        Thanks. To a large degree I think that many other comments on the original article should read this one too. In many ways, I feel that this article gives credit to the woman who otherwise was little credited. But apparently, she didn't care either way.
        themadturk 4y ago
        I think the interview is important because it seems to say that she chose her role in Berry's life, not that it was imposed upon her, as many people seem to assume.
greenie_beans 4y ago
his essays are also great: https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/the-unsettling-of-america/ https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/the-unsettling-... and his poetry: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wendell-berry https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wendell-berry

RaoulP 4y ago

Thanks, I didn’t realise he was a writer. That does provide some context.

_carbyau_ 4y ago

Remarkably consistent huh? I wonder whether the process has much to do with that: "My wife types my work on a Royal standard typewriter bought new in 1956 and as good now as it was then. As she types, she sees things that are wrong and marks them with small checks in the margins. She is my best critic because she is the one most familiar with my habitual errors and weaknesses. She also understands, sometimes better than I do, what ought to be said" Seems like an old school "behind every great man" thing.

themadturk 4y ago
It helps to realize that Berry's whole outlook on life was wedded to the idea that the best life is one anchored around one's home -- hence his ideas that good technology is purchased close to home, and repaired close to home, and that one's first best editor is found at home. Most published writers, especially those published before the golden age of self-publishing, worked with editors, and his wife was (and probably still is) that editor. It's not as if he doesn't give her credit for her part in his literary work. (Plus, men of his era didn't usually learn to type unless they had reason or inclination to.)
- _carbyau_ 4y ago
  It is absolutely a situation born of it's time. Financially no doubt she was covered. Should worse come to worst, by the 1980's divorce could net her significant financial worth of the partnership. But social credit for her achievements were rather small. It is one thing to have an editor, but quite another for the editor to be wedded to the job for just one writer. Every story/book bore his name, no matter that he happily credits her work in his personal missives. And so social standards changing in this regard is for the better. But it's not like I think he is a monster - he is a product of his day as much as we are of ours.
  - themadturk 4y ago
    For a bit more on Tanya Berry's perspective on this: https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/solidarity-economy/2017/12/12/the-woman-beside-wendell-berry-the-most-important-fiction-editor-almost-no-one-has-heard-of https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/solidarity-economy/2017/12...
    - _carbyau_ 4y ago
      Thanks. To a large degree I think that many other comments on the original article should read this one too. In many ways, I feel that this article gives credit to the woman who otherwise was little credited. But apparently, she didn't care either way.
      - themadturk 4y ago
        I think the interview is important because it seems to say that she chose her role in Berry's life, not that it was imposed upon her, as many people seem to assume.

greenie_beans 4y ago

his essays are also great: https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/the-unsettling-of-america/ https://www.counterpointpress.com/dd-product/the-unsettling-... and his poetry: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wendell-berry https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/wendell-berry