Kimberly K. Smith is associate professor of political science at Carleton College and author of The Dominion of Voice: Riot, Reason, and Romance in Antebellum Politics, winner of the prestigious Merle Curti Intellectual History Award given by the Organization of American Historians.
Kimberly Smith illuminates the integrity of Wendell Berry's social
and ecological vision with extraordinary clarity. While linking
Berry's writing in many persuasive ways to the larger landscape of
stewardship and citizenship in America, Smith's book never flattens
his thought to make it fit more neatly into some particular
category or lineage.--John Elder, author of Reading the
Mountains of Home and coeditor of The Norton Book of Nature
WritingBy showing us how Berry has revived and helped transform an
agrarian tradition and how his writings identify a latter-day blend
of environmental, democratic, community, and sustainable
agricultural values, Smith has provided us a road map for
understanding a new rural politics and intellectual
tradition.--Robert Gottlieb, author of Environmentalism
Unbound: Exploring New Pathways for Change
Should be appreciated by anyone who is interested in Wendell
Berry's critique of agricultural policy issues in the historical
context of American agrarian, populist, and environmental thought,
and in his corrective vision for those policies. . . . The value of
[this book] is that it helps us understand just how rich and yet
nuanced Berry's thinking is. For this reason, Smith's book is worth
a close read.--Journal of Agricultural Environmental EthicsSmith's
analytical overview of Berry's thought is not only the first of its
kind, but also a very good piece of work. . . . An exceptionally
rich and instructive work. . . . Both a graceful piece of work and
one for which we have much cause to be grateful.--Review of
PoliticsAn intelligent, articulate exploration of [various] aspects
of Berry's thought and its intellectual roots.--Interdisciplinary
Studies in Literature and EnvironmentIn this thoughtful and
well-balanced critical analysis of Wendell Berry's ideas, Smith
synthesizes Berry's views, weaving them together into a coherent
agrarian philosophy. . . . A great strength of her study is the way
in which she confidently navigates the complexities of Berry's
thought . . . . In distilling, organizing, and contextualizing
Berry's writings, Smith performs a valuable intellectual service. .
. . Finding much to admire in Berry's vision, Smith does not
hesitate to call into question particular elements of it. . . . All
in all, Smith finds great power and value in Berry's views, and her
book becomes required reading for anyone interested in
understanding ecology, agrarianism, and Berry's contributions to
them.--Journal of American StudiesSmith makes a compelling case for
the significance of Berry's ideas and of the agrarianism that Berry
has played a major role in redirecting, and her sensitivity to the
vulnerabilities as well as the strengths of his thought makes her
pathbreaking book all the more persuasive.--Register of the
Kentucky Historical SocietyWendell Berry is one of America's most
important cultural critics, and the beauty of [this book] is
Smith's patient delineation of Berry's vision and her focus on his
ecological agrarianism. In bringing Berry to the forefront of an
environmental worldview, she makes clear the necessity for us all
to attain the 'conditions necessary to live in harmony with the
natural and social world.'--Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)Smith's
book is the first substantial critical analysis of Berry's thought
to be published. . . . Smith's chapters on Berry's moral philosophy
are particularly useful in their synthesis and explanation of
Berry's complex ideas and large body of work. . . . [This book is]
a must for anyone interested in Berry as artist and advocate, and
it is a valuable addition to the growing body of
ecocriticism.--Environmental HistoryA complex rendering of Berry's
work that sheds light on not only his thought but also his place in
the general agrarian tradition. Recommended.--ChoiceSmith's main
contribution is not just in trying to make sense of the huge volume
of Berry's writings, drawn largely from his many novels. Her real
achievement is in constantly probing the agrarian traditions that
influenced him, dissecting his agreements and disagreements with
those, and illustrating the evolution of his ideas and those of
many agrarian traditions over time.--Perspectives on Political
Science
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