“College has been oversold,” Wendell Berry tells overflow crowd at Warren Wilson

Author and activist Wendell Berry addressed an overflow crowd at the Warren Wilson College chapel last evening, Nov. 9, where he gave a reading from a collection of his short stories, and took questions students had submitted in advance, through a conversation with college dean Paula Garrett.

Berry’s appearance onstage was greeted with raucous applause, no doubt fueled by his notoriety for activism against mountaintop-removal mining, nuclear power, and American wars abroad, among other issues.

The award-winning author provided a one-hour reading from two short stories in the “Making It Home” series, chronicling a soldier’s return home to the fictional, small Kentucky community of Port William. The stories highlight the significance of ordinary things, such as man’s “intimacy between himself and the things he needs,” as exemplified in the act of making one’s own rope, or the simple freedom present in the act of walking outdoors: “Just get up on your legs and go.” An overflow crowd listened through live audio broadcast in the Canon Lounge on the main campus across the street.

After the reading, Berry was joined onstage by Warren Wilson College Dean Paula Garrett, who presented the author with questions she had collected from students. While he gently protested being placed “in the role of prescriber,” Berry offered his thoughts on such things as the role of faith in environmentalism, the ongoing “Occupy” movement, and the cost of attending college.

“College isn’t for everyone,” the septuagenarian told the crowd, adding that the decision to earn a degree merits serious thought, especially in view of the high cost of attending college. “College has been oversold,” he said, and can promote a feeling of inferiority among those who opt not to earn a degree. As for the institutions themselves, Berry argued that small colleges offer their leaders more institutional flexibility than large ones, comparing the former to a canoe: “Easier to steer, compared to a battleship, when it’s time to change course.”

On the role of faith in the environmental movement, Berry argued that humans are faithful by nature, and that even when earthly affairs look bleak, “things aren’t going to get so bad that someone can’t work to make it a little better.”

Berry said he views the “Occupy” movement as “a manifestation that people are getting really worried.” Even so, “a movement unaccompanied by local change won’t amount to much.

“Objectivity is impossible,” he said, urging listeners to work for change, and inform themselves. “History is participatory.”

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on ““College has been oversold,” Wendell Berry tells overflow crowd at Warren Wilson

Leave a Reply to Jim ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.