More on Wendell Berry

Since I wrote the post about Wendell Berry, I have been doing a lot more thinking about his, his philosophies, his lifestyle. The more that I think about his work the more difficult it is. He is a person that has put into practice what he believes. Who of us can say that? I will include some links, quotes and some other reading recommendations for those of you who are interested.

"“Be ye separate” and “Go ye into all the world” are not new commands, and neither is the church’s struggle to satisfy both. Wendell Berry’s spiritual retreat to Henry County Kentucky after his stint at Stanford has entered its fifth decade."--Devine, Mark. Martin Luther and Wendell Berry: To Seperate, Serve or Both? That is the Question.

"We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. . . We must recover the sense of the majesty of the creation and the ability to be worshipful in its presence. For it is only on the condition of humility and reverence before the world that our species will be able to remain in it."

I have read most of Wendell Berry's Port William fiction. My favorites are the following.

Hannah Coulter (2004)
At the end of her life, Hannah Coulter remembers her life of grief. For anyone who has lost someone they love, this is an important read. From when she was young, Hannah was surrounded by sorrow and loss. Berry discusses different types of loss: from death, to children moving away, to the loss of self.


Jayber Crow (2000)
The story of Port Williams barber, Jayber Crow follows the story of how an outsider becomes part of "the membership." Jayber longs to love someone and to belong. The story is of how he becomes an important part of the lives of all of the people in Port William.


Fidelity: Five Stories (1993)
Some of my favorite Berry fiction, Fidelity deals with topics of marriage, death and love. My favorite story in this collection is of how Burly Coulter, one of the main characters through the Port Williams narratives, dies. It is the story of his family's struggle to figure out how Burly would want to spend his last days.



Nathan Coulter (1960)
This is the first story about the Port William community. It is a story once again of loss and of the growing and changing of a young boy. One of my favorite scenes in this story if when Nathan's older brother decides to take is dad on in a crop mowing contest. Berry describes the tension of a boy wanting to become a man and the father standing in his way, so well. I read this as a part of a later collection entitled Three Short Novels.

So check out the links above for better reviews of these books and then head to the library or Amazon. Have a great weekend and thanks for reading.

Wendell Berry reading recap

The Story of a Wendell Berry fanboy

Having been a fanboy of lesser people and having had a chance to meet some of them, I was somewhat prepared for my evening on Friday. What can one expect from a short encounter with someone who one has put on a pedestal and even sought to emulate? One can expect disappointment. So I tried to go into the Wendell Berry reading working to keep my expectations in check. I got there a little early and was able to get a seat right on Mr. Berry's left shoulder. There were two other author/poets that shared the bill with him. He read first though. He read an amazing poem about hope that left me with tears. He then read a new story of Burley Coulter. Burley is one of the central characters in his Port William fiction series. Hearing Mr. Berry read the story in Burley's slow southern drawl made me feel as if I were with him around the fire, hearing a story, while sipping "White Lightning" after a coon hunt. This was the highlight of the evening.

After Mr. Berry read, the two other guests read from their work. It was good, but paled in an
unfair comparison. After the these readings there was a short break during which, I reached to touch Mr. Berry's arm to thank him for coming. His arm was old. It felt like the arms of other old men I'd known, Grandpa, men I grew up with. He was thin and his skin was loose. This was not what I expected from the long-time farmer. His age continued to show during the subsequent question and answer session. He needed to have each question repeated and frustration with the microphone was ongoing.

After the reading ended, around 9:45 pm, there was a reception with all locally grown food. (The food was delicious. It really is different.) During this time, many people lined up to have Mr. Berry sign their books. After my food, the line had died down and I took my copy of Hannah Coulter out for his signature. I told him my name was "Andy" and he seemed to think that was a good name (His most recent book is entitled Andy Coulter: Early Travels.) While he was signing I asked him "Is it difficult for you to talk about these issues outside of a relationship with Jesus?" He didn't hear me, but answered, "I've been talking about these issues for years. Its not hard. The problem is I'm going deaf. I can hardly hear."

The evening was great. I do not get many opportunities like this. My reading of his work will be different for the time that I was able to spend there.

Wendell Berry reading

This Friday I will be attending a reading by one of Amanda's and my favorite authors, Wendell Berry. Mr. Berry has made his way into many of my blog posts. I have always love Berry's fiction. He writes mostly about the fictional town of Port William, Kentucky. He follows the town and its "membership" through generations. I have just recently begun to read his nonfiction. He writes mostly about Agrarianism. "To Berry, agrarianism is about applying the principles of respectful utilisation of resources to all walks of life." [Prism Magazine] It is a difficult topic. What I have gleaned from my readings of both his fiction and his prose is that we have become a country of disconnected technologs. The next innovation and the lowest price is more important than respect for ourselves or our neighbors. I am hoping to get a little bit more at the solution this weekend. I am digging deeper into his writings and the writings about him. If you're interested, check out Orion Magazine. My friend Jared Friesen turned me on to this. Authors like Rick Bass and David James Duncan also write for Orion.

Interestingly enough, Gregg (Amanda's brother) and I began some conversations about similar topics while we were on vacation. We have been continuing those conversations via e-mail this week. I am learning much from his dissection of the points that I raise. I will write more about the reading next week. This is the next step in my journey.

A Membership

Do you have people in your life that you love? Do they live near you? When something is wrong are they there to help bare your load? When something is right and beautiful are they there to celebrate it with you? Are they family? Are they your neighbors? Are they a part of your everyday life?

These are the questions that I ask myself, especially when I read Wendell Berry's stories of the Port Williams Membership. Set in agrarian Kentucky, Berry writes about how the people in this fictional little corner of America work together, live together and love each other. Mom gave me his latest book Andy Catlett: Early Travels. Like most of his books, this one is written from the perspective of an older man looking back at a particular time in his life. Andy is nine-years-old, gone to spend a week alone with his grandparents. Looking back at his life, he wishes he had been more attentive, longs for the touch of his grandmother, the teaching of his grandfather, the simplicity of the smell of biscuits baking in the kitchen.

While sometimes overly nostalgic, Berry's work always leads me to a place where I long to give my boys a life that they will look back at and love. It also makes me think of the "membership" that I am a part of and the one that I came from. I could write many stories about the people that I held hands with and sang songs with at Ripley Blvd. Baptist Church. I could write the story of the people who came to our house when my father died or the people that came over and cleaned our house when it flooded. I could write stories of the people that I talked with for an hour on the beach last week.

One thing that I long for in Minnesota is a "membership". It takes longer and is more difficult in a metropolitan locale. Things are different in a place like Port William or Alpena or Upland or ___________.

Go to the library or click on the links above and take a trip to Wendell Berry's Port William and join his "membership" as you seek one of your own. Thanks for reading.

Wendell Berry reading audio

On June 29, I went to a reading by Wendell Berry. You can read my earlier post about it here. It was a great night, sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project, an amazing organization here in the Twin Cities. I received a letter yesterday that said that the audio from that evening is now available. So, take a few minutes and listen to Mr. Berry read a great poem and a new story about Burly Coulter. Go here and listen to episode 35. If you're interested in issues of land stewardship and the family farm, you can also listen to episodes 38 and 39. They are the panel discussion from that night. I hope you enjoy!

Things that should be on your Christmas list this year

I thought I would give out some unsolicited opinions on things that I think should be on everyone's Christmas list this year.

1) iPod
I received my iPod in February as a very welcome Valentine's gift from Amanda. It has been a HUGE addition to my life. The question you might have is, "Which iPod do I get?" A good question, but the answer is pretty obvious. Unless you are looking to use it only for running or working out, the 30G iPod with video is your choice. At $250 its a lot, but I think it is worth it. Another option might be the new iPod shuffle. For only $79 you can get an iPod that holds around 240 songs. Its so small though and no screen. It sure looks cool though.

2) Paste magazine
Paste has been coming to my door now for a few years. I first found out about it at Calvin College. It is a great periodical about music, film and culture. They look into areas that many other publications don't. My favorite part about it is that every issue comes with a sampler CD with about 20 new tracks of music. They even did a sampler DVD for a while. Its a great way to stay up on what's happening in the world of the arts.

3) The Lives of Rocks by Rick Bass
Check out Tricia's post about one of our favorite authors.

4) Andy Catlett: Early Travels by Wendell Berry
This is the newest book in a series about the fictitious town of Port William and its "membership". These are the books that make me want to move back to Alpena, buy a farm, live near family and love people. Berry will challenge your thinking about God, America, technology, and "making something of yourself."

5) Stormy Kromer cap
Straight from the UP, this is the cap that keeps my evermore balding head warm in the north woods of Minnesota. I first saw it on "Made in America" on the Travel Channel. It is a great choice to stay warm, while still being cool. There's also an Ida Kromer cap for women. Don't tell Amanda, but she will be joining the crowd this Christmas.

6) Time with people you love
The most important gift that you can give yourself this Christmas is to spend time with people that you love. That is what I am planning on doing. We start our Christmas off next week. I'm looking forward to giving a little love--and possibly receiving some too.

The Best Children's Book I've Ever Read

, rEvery night I read a book aloud to the boys. This week we read Sarah, Plain and Tall. I have read a lot of children's books, both as an adult and as a child and this, by far, is the best one ever. I love the imagery and most of all the way that she painted the emotions of the two children. It reminded me of authors like Rick Bass and Wendell Berry. The words were poetic and sounded beautiful read aloud.

Usually I read only a chapter or even half a chapter depending on the length. With this book both the boys and I wanted it to continue. We finished the whole book (it is short) in two nights. I cried multiple times reading it aloud. It's a love story of a couple viewed so innocently from the children. It's a love story of the children longing for a new mother.

When we finished last night I brought the book up to Amanda and said, "You've got to read this." It took her about twenty minutes. If you've never read this book or if it has been a long time, go to the library and pick up this book.

Burley

We welcomed Burley into our home this weekend. He is a goldendoodle--half golden retriever, half poodle. We named him after Burley Coulter one of our favorite characters in Wendell Berry's Port William novels. The breeder said that he was the best puppy she'd ever had. So far we would agree. He is doing the potty thing very well. No accidents in the first twenty-four hours. He's sleeping well and has been great to have around.

Molly's berry happy birthday

While at my mom's we began to celebrate Molly Pearl's first birthday. The official date is not until Saturday the 12th, but when she's as sweet as she is, we couldn't help but start a little early. We went with a bit of a Strawberry Shortcake theme. Our present to her was a very fun Strawberry Shortcake tank top. She looked super cute. Gigi got her the "birthday princess" hat pictured above. It is amazing that Molly has been with us for a whole year. But in other ways it is hard to imagine what life was like before she arrived. You can see all of the other pictures here.

Questions

When I take a little time to think about what God is working on my heart about, I don't really like it. It seems that lately God has been pushing me to a radicalism that I am neither comfortable with nor understand very well. At times I feel God is pushing me to abandon the things that I have accumulated, the culture that I enjoy, the securities that protect me, the freedoms that I treasure and the reputation that I have established and put it all on the line for the sake of His kingdom. His kingdom? The poor, the creation, the lost.

How do I feel like God is saying these things to me? It seems as if God is speaking to me (and has been for about the last three to four years) through the authors that I have been reading, through the people that I have loved, and through the church to which He has led me.

Some high lights.

• I have been reading Wendell Berry for a while. I started with his fiction. His stories of how families and communities have crumbled over the years first moved my heart. I recently have begun to read a little of his non-fiction. Here he gets even more blatant about these deteriorations. If you're interested read this article.
• John Piper's sermons and writings about not wasting your life have been very influential. His thesis is "If God has been so merciful to you, to spare you from the destruction that you deserve, what are you going to offer him, save your entire life." Is that not the only viable response to the Gospel?
• It seems like every sermon where my heart has been truly moved has been about my response to the "least of these." I have cried over the Compassion International children, I have cried over the presentation of adopted babies at church, I have been frustrated with myself when the missions team comes back from Africa.
• Conversations with friends like Ben Arendt, Jared and Meghan Friesen and many of my friends that I made at Calvin College have been the ones that still work on my heart. The conversations have been around topics like creation care, the poor, politics, vocation and every part of life.

These have been the ways that God has been working on me. I'll list some scriptures that I feel anchor, guide and push me.

Matthew 22:34-40
34Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:

36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 25: 31-46

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Michah 6:7-8

7 Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Mark 8:34-38
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life^[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

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If you've gotten this far in the post thanks so much for reading. I don't know what exactly to do with any of this stuff. I don't know if God is calling me to go to South America and serve him. (If he is I am totally ready for that.) I don't know if God is just calling me to get involved in the Latino ministry at our church or if God is calling me to sell our house and move to West St. Paul. Maybe God is calling me to sell our house and move out to the country. I would love to hear any of your thoughts on these topics.

Blueberries and Cream Ice Cream

Welcome to my first blog post exploring my exploits in homemade ice cream. I am hoping to make this a recurring part of the blog. First, a little background. I received my ice cream maker, the Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream/Sorbet Maker for Christmas from my mom. I have made many different ice creams so far. My favorite is Chocolate & Peanut Butter, but I have enjoyed them all. Also for Christmas I got the book Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book from Brad and Sarah. This was an essential piece in the great ice cream puzzle. The ice cream maker came with a small recipe book, but it left out what I found to be an essential ingredient: eggs. Ben & Jerry's recommends a least one or two eggs in each batch. The eggs seemed to really affect the consistency of the final product. I hope you enjoy this ongoing subject.

This past week we got a huge box of blueberries from Costco. I thought ice cream would be a good way to use some. I used approximately two cups of blue berries in my blueberries and cream ice cream. In my Cuisinart recipe book there is a recipe for strawberry ice cream that say to combine 1/3 cup of sugar, some lemon juice and berries and let stand for two hours. I only let the berries and sugar mixture stand for a little more than a half hour. This gave me more of a blue berries and cream taste than a blue berry flavored ice cream. It was very good though and I am finishing of the remainder of it this week.

Last night I made some "mocha chip" ice cream that I will write about next.