by Wendell Berry
For more than fifty years, Wendell Berry has been telling us stories
about Port William, a mythical town on the banks of the Kentucky River,
populated over the years by a cast of unforgettable characters living in
a single place over a long time. In this new collection, the author’s
first piece of new fiction since the publication of Andy Catlett in
2006, the stories date’s range from 1864, when Rebecca Dawe finds
herself in her own reflection at the end of the Civil War, to one from
1991 when Grover Gibbs’ widow, Beulah, attends the auction as her home
place is offered for sale.
It feels as if the entire membership,
all the Catletts, Burley Coulter, Elton Penn, the Rowanberrys, Laura
Milby, the preacher’s wife, Kate Helen Branch, Andy’s dog, Mike, nearly
everyone returns with a story or two, to fill in the gaps in this long
tale. Those just now joining the Membership will be charmed. Those
who’ve attended before will be enriched.
The story of the
community of Port William is one of the great works in American
literature. Published in the author’s 78th year, this collection, the
tenth volume in the series, is the perfect occasion to celebrate his
huge achievement.
