Wendell Berry, agrarian writer who envisioned a world ‘redeemed only by love,’ dies at 92

Wendell Berry, the prolific American author whose work spanned decades and who spent his career urging Americans to pursue a simpler, more virtuous life, died on Aug. 31, his family said.

His daughter Mary confirmed his passing via the New York Times . His cause of death was not immediately known; the Kentucky-born writer was 92 years old.

A writer of fiction, poetry, and essays, Berry was known for his advocacy of rural life, for urging readers to develop a close connection to farming and food, and for calling for the care of the environment.

His work united a broad cross-section of the American public from liberal environmentalists to Christian homesteaders to local food advocates to conservative conservationists.

Born in Louisville on Aug. 5, 1934, Berry studied English at the University of Kentucky and writing at Stanford University. He taught English at the University of Kentucky for several years and also taught at New York University.

From 1965 until his death he lived and worked at his farm, Lane’s Landing, in Henry County, Kentucky.

His politics were broad and diverse. He was famously critical of big business and corporations and was a fierce detractor…