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Port William
That Distant Land: The Collected Stories
Originally published in 2005, That Distant Land brings together twenty–three stories from the Port William Membership. Arranged in their fictional chronology, the book is not an anthology so much as it is a coherent temporal mapping of this landscape over time, revealing Berry’s mastery of decades of the life lived alongside this clutch of interrelated characters bound by affection and followed over generations.
This volume combines the stories found in The Wild Birds (1985), Fidelity (1992), and Watch with Me (1994), together with a map and a charting of the complex and interlocking genealogies.
This volume combines the stories found in The Wild Birds (1985), Fidelity (1992), and Watch with Me (1994), together with a map and a charting of the complex and interlocking genealogies.
475 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2002
230 people are currently reading
2358 people want to read
About the author
Wendell Berry
293 books4,917 followersWendell Berry is a conservationist, farmer, essayist, novelist, professor of English and poet. He was born August 5, 1934 in Henry County, Kentucky where he now lives on a farm. The New York Times has called Berry the "prophet of rural America."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
September 20, 2022
Book descriptions on Goodreads don’t always get it right, but the description of this collection of Wendell Berry stories does - “ this book offers rest for the weary, hope for the beleaguered, and strength for the rest of us.” The title is perfect. The time and place and the simple way of life in Port William, Kentucky do feel so distant from the world as we know it today, but thankfully going there through Berry’s beautiful writing, makes it possible to be there as soon as you read the first page.
My favorite story is “Fidelity” about one of my favorite of Berry’s characters , Burley Coulter. Heartbreakingly real, death of course does come to Port William. Yet, this story is about more than a dying man. It is reflective of all of the life and heart and love that is there in this place . The ebb and flow of time is depicted in other stories, too . Mat Feltner is 5 years old in the first story and a grandfather long gone remembered in another . What is the same in all of the stories and the novels I have read so far is the remembrance and acknowledgment by the characters of what their mothers and fathers and grandparents gave them, taught them about life, working the land, caring for neighbors . Life’s lessons and how it does take a village with love and genuine friendship.
My favorite story is “Fidelity” about one of my favorite of Berry’s characters , Burley Coulter. Heartbreakingly real, death of course does come to Port William. Yet, this story is about more than a dying man. It is reflective of all of the life and heart and love that is there in this place . The ebb and flow of time is depicted in other stories, too . Mat Feltner is 5 years old in the first story and a grandfather long gone remembered in another . What is the same in all of the stories and the novels I have read so far is the remembrance and acknowledgment by the characters of what their mothers and fathers and grandparents gave them, taught them about life, working the land, caring for neighbors . Life’s lessons and how it does take a village with love and genuine friendship.
August 14, 2022
When times are difficult, which they are a bit right now, there is such a balm in reading Wendell Berry. He can find a heartstring and tug it about the best of anybody I have known since my own Grandfather tugged at mine. He takes me back to better times, simpler ones, perhaps because I was so much younger and unjaded, and perhaps because I was surrounded by so much love and security in the family that I had. He also reminds me of the mortality of us all, that death is the end product of life and that the life we have lived matters more than the death we are approaching.
Many of these stories were not new to me. I had encountered them before in other collections, but a few were newly found shiny pennies, and among the new characters that I either did not remember or had never met were Tol Proudfoot and Miss Minnie–a pair that couldn’t fail to make anyone smile. Some of my favorite stories are here, among them those about the last days of Mat Feltner and the death of Burley Coulter, and every one of these stories is a treasure and a joy.
Wendell Berry sees the world as it was and as it is, and he has the measure of what has been lost.
“And now look at how many are gone–the old ones dead and gone that won’t ever be replaced, the mold they were made in done throwed away, and the young ones dead in wars or killed in damned automobiles, or gone off to college and made too smart ever to come back, or gone off to easy money and bright lights and ain’t going to work in the sun ever again if they can help it. I see them come back here to funerals–people who belong here, or did once, looking down into coffins at people they don't have anything left in common with except a name.”
He just turned eighty-eight himself. He was Andy Catlett, but now he is Mat Feltner, and I think he would be just as happy to be either. He has given us a gift that cannot be valued, for it is immeasurable, it is a world into which we can slip and find the past and a hope for the future.
Many of these stories were not new to me. I had encountered them before in other collections, but a few were newly found shiny pennies, and among the new characters that I either did not remember or had never met were Tol Proudfoot and Miss Minnie–a pair that couldn’t fail to make anyone smile. Some of my favorite stories are here, among them those about the last days of Mat Feltner and the death of Burley Coulter, and every one of these stories is a treasure and a joy.
Wendell Berry sees the world as it was and as it is, and he has the measure of what has been lost.
“And now look at how many are gone–the old ones dead and gone that won’t ever be replaced, the mold they were made in done throwed away, and the young ones dead in wars or killed in damned automobiles, or gone off to college and made too smart ever to come back, or gone off to easy money and bright lights and ain’t going to work in the sun ever again if they can help it. I see them come back here to funerals–people who belong here, or did once, looking down into coffins at people they don't have anything left in common with except a name.”
He just turned eighty-eight himself. He was Andy Catlett, but now he is Mat Feltner, and I think he would be just as happy to be either. He has given us a gift that cannot be valued, for it is immeasurable, it is a world into which we can slip and find the past and a hope for the future.
November 5, 2022
Reading these stories is almost guaranteed to soothe your soul, and Wendell Berry is able to do it without a hint of sappiness. The 23 stories included range in time from 1888 to 1986, and is set in the farming community of Port William, Kentucky.
An appreciation of life balances a grudging acceptance of the aging process. There is a sense of belonging to the land, and the satisfying weariness felt after a hard day of work, seeing what you have accomplished. A willingness to pitch in wherever help is needed, knowing that your neighbor won't ask you to do anything he wouldn't do himself. It's a place in a simpler time, when a corncob is apt to be used as stopper in a jug. The noon meal is dinner, the evening repast is supper. I now know that a frozen horse turd is as good as a rock when used as a projectile.
An appreciation of life balances a grudging acceptance of the aging process. There is a sense of belonging to the land, and the satisfying weariness felt after a hard day of work, seeing what you have accomplished. A willingness to pitch in wherever help is needed, knowing that your neighbor won't ask you to do anything he wouldn't do himself. It's a place in a simpler time, when a corncob is apt to be used as stopper in a jug. The noon meal is dinner, the evening repast is supper. I now know that a frozen horse turd is as good as a rock when used as a projectile.
September 7, 2022
This set of twenty-three short stories takes place in Port William, Kentucky. I met some of the characters when I read my first Berry book, ‘The Memory of Old Jack,’ so it was with a sense of familiarity that I became further entangled in their extraordinary lives. In fact, their lives are ordinary for they are farmers, housewives, everyday people. It is Berry’s focus and skill as a storyteller that carries their majestic moments over the waves and onto the shore of our page.
The stories are arranged in chronological order beginning in 1888 and ending in 1987. They are bound together by the setting of Port William and the distinct bond of the characters to their land for they are fed by it, work on it, and take their pleasure from it.
Has it ever come into your head to take your camera to the mountains or the beach to take beautiful photographs so that you can remember and show your great-grandchildren (if you are blessed to live that long) the magic of our world? I think about it when I'm driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway where everything is verdant and lush in the summers. I wonder what will happen with climate change. How long can this beauty hold out? That’s the same sense I get from reading Berry’s writings. But he’s lived it. He’s seen the changes and he’s recorded it so that all may know how it was, how it used to be.
I had many favorites in this collection but ‘A Consent’ was outstanding. In this story, I was introduced to Tol Proudfoot and Miss Minnie. Tol was a large man, stout, and a hard worker. He made a down payment on his ninety-eight acre farm by the time he was twenty-five. He developed feelings for the tiny little schoolteacher, Miss Minnie Quinch. The humor that Berry invokes at the fall festival auction for Miss Minnie’s cake made me laugh. I was in love, too…with these characters, so I was pleased to see them featured in more stories.
My other favorite has to be, ‘Fidelity,’ the longest story in the book. It features Burley Coulter, who was a schoolboy performing a recitation at the fall festival in ‘A Consent.’ He makes a pitiful reciter, forgetting his lines saying, “Well, drot it, folks. I forgot her. But I’ll tell you one I know.” Miss Minnie quickly seats the forgetful schoolboy, perhaps in fear of what he might say next. In ‘Fidelity’ Burley is an old man at the end of his life. During his lifetime, Burley became one who traipses the woods. Now, he’s eighty-two and sick, losing weight. His nephew, Nathan, and son, Danny decide to take him to the doctor where he is hooked up to an IV, machines, and has a catheter. Burley began to speak to the dead, then slips into what the doctor called a coma. It’s only when his loved ones see him hooked up to modern medicine’s answer to the perfectly natural process of dying that they realize this is the last thing Burley, a man of the forest, would have wanted. Danny’s resolution had me shedding a few tears.
There are so many more that I enjoyed . The quality is consistent. There are no duds. This is a collection I could read again and likely will.
The stories are arranged in chronological order beginning in 1888 and ending in 1987. They are bound together by the setting of Port William and the distinct bond of the characters to their land for they are fed by it, work on it, and take their pleasure from it.
Has it ever come into your head to take your camera to the mountains or the beach to take beautiful photographs so that you can remember and show your great-grandchildren (if you are blessed to live that long) the magic of our world? I think about it when I'm driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway where everything is verdant and lush in the summers. I wonder what will happen with climate change. How long can this beauty hold out? That’s the same sense I get from reading Berry’s writings. But he’s lived it. He’s seen the changes and he’s recorded it so that all may know how it was, how it used to be.
I had many favorites in this collection but ‘A Consent’ was outstanding. In this story, I was introduced to Tol Proudfoot and Miss Minnie. Tol was a large man, stout, and a hard worker. He made a down payment on his ninety-eight acre farm by the time he was twenty-five. He developed feelings for the tiny little schoolteacher, Miss Minnie Quinch. The humor that Berry invokes at the fall festival auction for Miss Minnie’s cake made me laugh. I was in love, too…with these characters, so I was pleased to see them featured in more stories.
My other favorite has to be, ‘Fidelity,’ the longest story in the book. It features Burley Coulter, who was a schoolboy performing a recitation at the fall festival in ‘A Consent.’ He makes a pitiful reciter, forgetting his lines saying, “Well, drot it, folks. I forgot her. But I’ll tell you one I know.” Miss Minnie quickly seats the forgetful schoolboy, perhaps in fear of what he might say next. In ‘Fidelity’ Burley is an old man at the end of his life. During his lifetime, Burley became one who traipses the woods. Now, he’s eighty-two and sick, losing weight. His nephew, Nathan, and son, Danny decide to take him to the doctor where he is hooked up to an IV, machines, and has a catheter. Burley began to speak to the dead, then slips into what the doctor called a coma. It’s only when his loved ones see him hooked up to modern medicine’s answer to the perfectly natural process of dying that they realize this is the last thing Burley, a man of the forest, would have wanted. Danny’s resolution had me shedding a few tears.
There are so many more that I enjoyed . The quality is consistent. There are no duds. This is a collection I could read again and likely will.
August 15, 2022
It’s always a joy to visit Port William, a place where you know you’ll find a group of special individuals who put their love for each other and the land they toil upon above all else. In this collection of stories, Wendell Berry has provided a glimpse into the members’ lives that spans a century starting in the 1880’s through the 1980’s. Right away I sensed the friendship, the camaraderie and kinship as the stories link each one to the other. The progression of time is apparent as are the inevitable changes that come with new eras. All in all, the community experienced changes but in so many essential ways they stayed the same as always. What was important was passing on what was necessary to the next generation, helping your neighbor, never forgetting and always honoring those that came before you and have passed on.
I was so happy to read more about some of my favorite characters - Burley Coulter, Mat Feltner, and Wheeler Catlett. And to meet some new folks that touched my heart - Tol and Minnie Proudfoot and their sweet courtship and marriage. What stands out for me in these stories is the bond of this community to stand together and do right for their friends and family members. “Fidelity” is a beautiful representation of this and one of the best short stories I’ve ever read. Berry’s story telling will make you think and provoke you to wonder how a man can write such heartfelt, humorous, and perfect stories. His writing puts you right in the heart of Port William with the members where they share life and death together. This remarkable community exudes a sense of family and belonging. I mourn that my time here is over but rejoice knowing that Port William and its membership is just around the corner waiting for me to return.
August 10, 2022
Wendell Berry is good for what ails you. This book was no different. I had read all but a few of them in other collections through the years, but still a pleasure to revisit them. I especially liked that the time period of the story was listed right beside the chapter title. In getting reacquainted with these characters, and losing some of them, I was reminded of what is most important in everyone's life. Friends, family, and a sense of place and belonging.
July 27, 2022
Wendell Berry transports us to Port William, Kentucky in twenty-three wonderful short stories. His fiction covers about a century - from 1888 to 1986 - in the rural farming town. The stories are about three generations of neighbors who work and socialize together. Some of them act as parent figures to those orphaned or mistreated. The older men and women teach the young how to be fairly self-sufficient on the farms.
As time passes, many of their children no longer want the hard farming life, and they head to the cities for jobs or college. But they are leaving a quirky group of neighbors who emotionally support each other, and provide the physical help harvesting the crops. Farming is becoming more mechanized, but it's expensive to purchase the new farm equipment.
It's Wendell Berry's thoughtful writing, laced with humor and wisdom, that makes this book special. "That Distant Land" contains stories that will make the readers smile, and others that will bring tears to their eyes.
As time passes, many of their children no longer want the hard farming life, and they head to the cities for jobs or college. But they are leaving a quirky group of neighbors who emotionally support each other, and provide the physical help harvesting the crops. Farming is becoming more mechanized, but it's expensive to purchase the new farm equipment.
It's Wendell Berry's thoughtful writing, laced with humor and wisdom, that makes this book special. "That Distant Land" contains stories that will make the readers smile, and others that will bring tears to their eyes.
May 25, 2014
I would give it more stars if allowed. Wisdom, humor, laughter, tears, longing, sorrow, gratitude, pride. A collection of short stories covering a period from the 1890's to 1975 set in an imaginary county in Kentucky about farming, neighbors and a distant time with now distant values. Beautiful descriptions of the land, the air, the smells. I laughed so hard during one story that I couldn't breath for a bit. There is a deep underlying goodness in these people that I hope, hope, hope we are not losing.
September 3, 2022
As predicted by my reading friends, this book was very enjoyable. Wendell Berry has created his own little world in Port William, and even though this a book of short stories, they are all connected by place and culture, and many by relations.
I loved how Berry took me on a long journey through each story and then there seemed to be a big payoff at the end of each one. Some of the stories are quite long — Fidelity was more than 50 pages — and my book was a total 440 pages. This is not a book to skim through, either. There are about two dozen stories and each one should be savored. The Solemn Boy was one of my favorites, and another was The Wild Birds.
Here is a sample paragraph I liked, taken from A Consent:
“Tol’s mouth opened, but nothing came out of it. This was unusual, for Tol, when he felt like it, was a talkative man. He kept walking because he was already walking, but for several yards he got along without any assistance from his faculties. Sight and sense did not return to him until he had walked with some force into the tailgate of his wagon.”
There was also humor in the stories. Here are a few examples, taken from The Solemn Boy (also featuring Tol, but he is just one of many):
“Tol was sixty-two years old in 1934. He had not been young for several years, as he liked to say.”
“Tol was a big man. When he dressed, as Miss Minnie’s nephew Sam Hanks said, it was like upholstering a sofa.”
And of Tol’s dog, it was said, “Pokerface had a good sense of humor, but he did not appreciate sarcasm.”
My paperback has a handy map and a genealogy at the back, both of which I referred to quite often. This was my first introduction to Berry’s community of fascinating people, and I am going to read more, probably starting with Jayber Crowe, and followed by Hannah Coulter. For my future reading, I am going to keep the map and genealogy at hand so I can refer to it as more characters are introduced.
Thanks to On the Southern Literary Trail for introducing me to this wonderful writer!
I loved how Berry took me on a long journey through each story and then there seemed to be a big payoff at the end of each one. Some of the stories are quite long — Fidelity was more than 50 pages — and my book was a total 440 pages. This is not a book to skim through, either. There are about two dozen stories and each one should be savored. The Solemn Boy was one of my favorites, and another was The Wild Birds.
Here is a sample paragraph I liked, taken from A Consent:
“Tol’s mouth opened, but nothing came out of it. This was unusual, for Tol, when he felt like it, was a talkative man. He kept walking because he was already walking, but for several yards he got along without any assistance from his faculties. Sight and sense did not return to him until he had walked with some force into the tailgate of his wagon.”
There was also humor in the stories. Here are a few examples, taken from The Solemn Boy (also featuring Tol, but he is just one of many):
“Tol was sixty-two years old in 1934. He had not been young for several years, as he liked to say.”
“Tol was a big man. When he dressed, as Miss Minnie’s nephew Sam Hanks said, it was like upholstering a sofa.”
And of Tol’s dog, it was said, “Pokerface had a good sense of humor, but he did not appreciate sarcasm.”
My paperback has a handy map and a genealogy at the back, both of which I referred to quite often. This was my first introduction to Berry’s community of fascinating people, and I am going to read more, probably starting with Jayber Crowe, and followed by Hannah Coulter. For my future reading, I am going to keep the map and genealogy at hand so I can refer to it as more characters are introduced.
Thanks to On the Southern Literary Trail for introducing me to this wonderful writer!
July 29, 2015
As my husband, children and I drove through Kentucky last month, I got in the habit of looking up in the AAA tour book the little towns we went through. One such town was called Carrollton and actually had attractions. It also stated that the town was founded in 1793 as Port William, the name changing in the mid-19th century. I had just started reading this wonderful book at that time or I would have made my husband stop so I could look around. I suspect if I were there now, the feeling I'd have about the town would be akin to what I might feel if and when I ever get to visit Green Gables. Port William is real (or was); it is certainly real in my imagination.
This book is a collection of stories about the town and people of Port William. I, of course, now understand that this book signals the beginning of what I hope will be years of reading of Wendell Berry's books. The stories of these people are the stories of us all, especially of rural America, of the loss of this America but of the strength and constancy of this America. Every story was one that caused that sweet ache of beauty and love around my heart. Every story was of an overwhelming feeling of family and community and belonging, of history and quiet legend. Every story was of turning over what is important to the generations to come while honoring and remembering the generations before. The stories proved especially important to me, living in the small town where at least 6 generations of my family have resided and having recently lost my own parents.
I believe Wendell Berry is one of the unappreciated great American writers. I only wish that someday my writing could be as sweet and simple and true as his. As it is, I'm having trouble getting across in the review how much I loved this book, how much I wish everyone would read it...
This book is a collection of stories about the town and people of Port William. I, of course, now understand that this book signals the beginning of what I hope will be years of reading of Wendell Berry's books. The stories of these people are the stories of us all, especially of rural America, of the loss of this America but of the strength and constancy of this America. Every story was one that caused that sweet ache of beauty and love around my heart. Every story was of an overwhelming feeling of family and community and belonging, of history and quiet legend. Every story was of turning over what is important to the generations to come while honoring and remembering the generations before. The stories proved especially important to me, living in the small town where at least 6 generations of my family have resided and having recently lost my own parents.
I believe Wendell Berry is one of the unappreciated great American writers. I only wish that someday my writing could be as sweet and simple and true as his. As it is, I'm having trouble getting across in the review how much I loved this book, how much I wish everyone would read it...
August 18, 2022
Beautifully written! These loosely connected stories were a treasure that I only wish I had visited before any of Wendell Berry's other books.
September 28, 2020
That Distant Land ...
Port William is eternal, like the sky ✨
This collection of short stories, revisited the membership of Port William. It brought me back to times,places and personalities, I love so much!!
~ “that ol’ mule can kick the lard out of a biscuit”. 😁 Classic ~ Wendell Berry
Port William is eternal, like the sky ✨
This collection of short stories, revisited the membership of Port William. It brought me back to times,places and personalities, I love so much!!
~ “that ol’ mule can kick the lard out of a biscuit”. 😁 Classic ~ Wendell Berry
September 6, 2021
Perhaps the best collection of short stories I’ve ever read. And this was my second time through. Full of joy, grief, beauty, sorrow, hope, and simple humanity. And sometimes it’s just plain hilarious. If you’ve never read Wendell Berry, this is not a bad place to start.
May 15, 2022
Summary: A collection of short stories about the Port William membership not part of the longer novels.
If you’ve read a number of the fictional short stories of Wendell Berry, it is likely that you have encountered some of the stories in this collection. Stories from three earlier publications are represented here, although some differ slightly in the telling: The Wild Birds, Fidelity, and Watch with Me. I didn’t mind, though. It was delightful to revisit the courtship of Ptolemy Proudfoot and Minnie Quinch, to chuckle when the temperate Minnie determines to “dispose” of the half-pint of Old Darling Ptolemy had bought for lambing, or feel a sense of vindication when Ptolemy reveals he is far from the country bumpkin and gets the last laugh in “The Lost Bet.”
Two of the stories from Fidelity were a particular joy, both involving the lawyer Wheeler Catlett, who worked as hard to preserve the membership as any in Port William. The title work, “That Distant Land” conveys the bittersweet reflections also found in “The Wild Birds” at the losses to modernity Port William has suffered but also his dawning realization that the illegitimate son of Burley Coulter, who Burley wants to inherit his land is also part of that membership, not only by birth but through his care of the land in the company of Burley and others of the membership. “Fidelity,” I think is simply one of the greatest pieces of short story fiction. Danny “rescues” (or kidnaps, in the eyes of the law) Burley from the hospital where he is being kept alive on life support which is merely prolonging his dying at great expense. This was before the hospice movement, and the recognition of how providing a dignified dying in a familiar place is indeed fidelity to the dying. The beauty of what Danny does (not euthanasia but simply allowing Burley a natural death) and the way the membership stands together to protect him from the legal ramifications is both consummate storytelling and thought provoking.
There were several stories I hadn’t read before that I savored. “Making It Home” tells the story of Art Rowanberry’s military service, his recovery from the physical wounds and the mental ones that remain, as he walks home through countryside once again familiar, making it in time for dinner. “The Discovery of Kentucky” is one of those wisdom tales that shows how pompous pretensions can go sideways at the inaugural parade when a float to commemorate Kentucky is manned by Burley and his friends, when best-laid plans go awry and when the float sponsor totally fails to realize how the sign he has posted will be read in light of everything else. “The Inheritors,” which closes out the collection describes one of the final encounters between Wheeler Catlett and Danny Branch. Wheeler, who is slowly failing of body and mind, persuades Danny to drive him to a stock sale and then subjects Danny to a hair-raising drive home on the wrong side of the Interstate. Through it all, one senses an intimacy between the two, a passing of the baton and a blessing as Wheeler comes to the point of relinquishing his membership as Danny fully takes it up.
This is a fantastic collection of 23 of Berry’s Port William short stories, the best thing to read if you haven’t read any of the other works represented here. The arrangement of the stories is chronological and tells the story of a community over nearly a hundred year period. The book also includes a detailed map of Port William and a family tree of the Beechum, Feltner, and Coulter family lines. This is a great accompaniment to the Port William novels, which are indicated chronologically in the table of contents. All told, this work is one more reminder of the great contribution Mr. Berry has made to American literature.
If you’ve read a number of the fictional short stories of Wendell Berry, it is likely that you have encountered some of the stories in this collection. Stories from three earlier publications are represented here, although some differ slightly in the telling: The Wild Birds, Fidelity, and Watch with Me. I didn’t mind, though. It was delightful to revisit the courtship of Ptolemy Proudfoot and Minnie Quinch, to chuckle when the temperate Minnie determines to “dispose” of the half-pint of Old Darling Ptolemy had bought for lambing, or feel a sense of vindication when Ptolemy reveals he is far from the country bumpkin and gets the last laugh in “The Lost Bet.”
Two of the stories from Fidelity were a particular joy, both involving the lawyer Wheeler Catlett, who worked as hard to preserve the membership as any in Port William. The title work, “That Distant Land” conveys the bittersweet reflections also found in “The Wild Birds” at the losses to modernity Port William has suffered but also his dawning realization that the illegitimate son of Burley Coulter, who Burley wants to inherit his land is also part of that membership, not only by birth but through his care of the land in the company of Burley and others of the membership. “Fidelity,” I think is simply one of the greatest pieces of short story fiction. Danny “rescues” (or kidnaps, in the eyes of the law) Burley from the hospital where he is being kept alive on life support which is merely prolonging his dying at great expense. This was before the hospice movement, and the recognition of how providing a dignified dying in a familiar place is indeed fidelity to the dying. The beauty of what Danny does (not euthanasia but simply allowing Burley a natural death) and the way the membership stands together to protect him from the legal ramifications is both consummate storytelling and thought provoking.
There were several stories I hadn’t read before that I savored. “Making It Home” tells the story of Art Rowanberry’s military service, his recovery from the physical wounds and the mental ones that remain, as he walks home through countryside once again familiar, making it in time for dinner. “The Discovery of Kentucky” is one of those wisdom tales that shows how pompous pretensions can go sideways at the inaugural parade when a float to commemorate Kentucky is manned by Burley and his friends, when best-laid plans go awry and when the float sponsor totally fails to realize how the sign he has posted will be read in light of everything else. “The Inheritors,” which closes out the collection describes one of the final encounters between Wheeler Catlett and Danny Branch. Wheeler, who is slowly failing of body and mind, persuades Danny to drive him to a stock sale and then subjects Danny to a hair-raising drive home on the wrong side of the Interstate. Through it all, one senses an intimacy between the two, a passing of the baton and a blessing as Wheeler comes to the point of relinquishing his membership as Danny fully takes it up.
This is a fantastic collection of 23 of Berry’s Port William short stories, the best thing to read if you haven’t read any of the other works represented here. The arrangement of the stories is chronological and tells the story of a community over nearly a hundred year period. The book also includes a detailed map of Port William and a family tree of the Beechum, Feltner, and Coulter family lines. This is a great accompaniment to the Port William novels, which are indicated chronologically in the table of contents. All told, this work is one more reminder of the great contribution Mr. Berry has made to American literature.
February 21, 2023
I have dipped into and out of this book over the past few years and decided to finally finish it. I think I enjoyed this one as much as any work by Berry since Hannah Coulter, my favorite of his. The humor is strong in this one ("A Consent," "The Discovery of Kentucky") as is the pathos. The table of contents is also a helpful reference for any Port William reader, as it places the novels chronologically within the stories.
Male friendships are at the center of That Distant Land, and the wholesome yet imperfect men in Berry's world feel like family to me. I can almost smell their earthy, tobacco-scented clothing and feel their weathered hands in mine. We get to see some side characters more intimately here, through Berry's kind but shrewd narrator Andy Catlett. Burley Coulter is one of my all-time favorite Berry characters and I loved getting to spend more time with him here.
I will always recommend readers start with Hannah Coulter because it is short but powerful, but for anyone who prefers to stick to chronological order That Distant Land gives a framework for visiting Port William in time. Spoilers aren't worth it in Berry's world; it's just life. We all know how it ends.
"Buster Niblett implored that he be given liberty or death." (33)
"It would have been better if the two preachers had just said all right. But they, who well knew that they knew neither the day nor the hour of the coming of the Son of Man, were in fact not prepared for anything unscheduled." (82-83)
"[Tol] recognized his memories, the good ones anyhow, as gifts, to himself and to the rest of us." (212)
"'I have been a stranger and seen strange things,' he thought. 'And now I am where it is not strange, and I am not a stranger.'" (232)
"The truth is that Wheeler is a seer of visions--not the heavenly visions of saints and mystics, but the earthly ones of a mainly practical man who sees the good that has been possible in this world, and, beyond that, the good that is desirable in it." (271)
"'I lay my hand on me and quiet me down. And I say to myself that all that separateness, outside and inside, that don't matter. It's not here and not there. Then I think of all the good people I've known, not as good as they could have been, much less ought to have been, none of them, but good for the good that was in them along with the rest....And I think of this country around here, not purely good either, but good enough for us, and better than we deserve. And I think of what I've done here, all of it, all I'm glad I did, and all I wish had been done different or better, but wasn't.'" (355)
"'There's a whole family of them Ritis boys,' he would say, 'and that Arthur's the meanest one of the bunch.'" (373)
Male friendships are at the center of That Distant Land, and the wholesome yet imperfect men in Berry's world feel like family to me. I can almost smell their earthy, tobacco-scented clothing and feel their weathered hands in mine. We get to see some side characters more intimately here, through Berry's kind but shrewd narrator Andy Catlett. Burley Coulter is one of my all-time favorite Berry characters and I loved getting to spend more time with him here.
I will always recommend readers start with Hannah Coulter because it is short but powerful, but for anyone who prefers to stick to chronological order That Distant Land gives a framework for visiting Port William in time. Spoilers aren't worth it in Berry's world; it's just life. We all know how it ends.
"Buster Niblett implored that he be given liberty or death." (33)
"It would have been better if the two preachers had just said all right. But they, who well knew that they knew neither the day nor the hour of the coming of the Son of Man, were in fact not prepared for anything unscheduled." (82-83)
"[Tol] recognized his memories, the good ones anyhow, as gifts, to himself and to the rest of us." (212)
"'I have been a stranger and seen strange things,' he thought. 'And now I am where it is not strange, and I am not a stranger.'" (232)
"The truth is that Wheeler is a seer of visions--not the heavenly visions of saints and mystics, but the earthly ones of a mainly practical man who sees the good that has been possible in this world, and, beyond that, the good that is desirable in it." (271)
"'I lay my hand on me and quiet me down. And I say to myself that all that separateness, outside and inside, that don't matter. It's not here and not there. Then I think of all the good people I've known, not as good as they could have been, much less ought to have been, none of them, but good for the good that was in them along with the rest....And I think of this country around here, not purely good either, but good enough for us, and better than we deserve. And I think of what I've done here, all of it, all I'm glad I did, and all I wish had been done different or better, but wasn't.'" (355)
"'There's a whole family of them Ritis boys,' he would say, 'and that Arthur's the meanest one of the bunch.'" (373)
November 16, 2009
Reading Wendell Berry is like floating down a peaceful river. These beautiful short stories of farm life in KY kept me the best of company while I sat with my mom during the last week of her life. Berry writes of a rural culture that embraces the presence and wisdom of those members no longer with us - such good timing for reading this.
May 19, 2021
I've met more interesting residents of Port William. There's the endearing Tol Proudfoot. Big, lumbering and unrefined, but hard working, kind and sincere. Elton Penn is another. Mistreated by his stepfather, there were others who would have taken him as their own son, Jack Beechum, Ben Feltner and Tol Proudfoot. Wheeler Catlett, whom everyone trusts.
Marvelous collection of short stories compiled from three books including Fidelity, reviewed before. These are my favourites.
The Hurt Man
Berry brings the town of Port William to life, as though it were a living entity, which its own character and personality. The Feltners would experience great loss. But they would also stand out for their strength of character. With a paucity of details, without revealing who the hurt man was or what happened, Berry transforms Mat Feltner's mother Nancy into a towering figure of both authority and mercy. What she did would have an impact on Mat for the rest of his life.
The Consent
Sweet tale of the courtship between Tol Proudfoot and Minnie Quinch. Nice contrast between the big but awkward Tol and the diminuitive but sociable Minnie. And a lively battle for her consent.
Watch with Me
A unique Port William thriller. The unstable Thacker Hample makes off with Tol's shotgun and triggers a tense search for him. What really shown through in this adventure was the strong sense of community, respect and tolerance amongst the Port William folk. Family traits, good or bad, are accepted for what they are. No one blames Tol for losing his shotgun, not even the outspoken Walter Cotman.
"You've got live, whether you want to or not," Tom Hardy said.....Tol said..."You've got to like to live in this world. You can't just mortal it out from one day to the next for three score years and ten." The boys get philosophical.
Nearly to the Fair
A fun road trip and a wonderful relationship between Tol and Minnie and their surrogate ward Elton.
The Solemn Boy
A sad story. Tol and Minnie show their kindness and generosity to a stranger and a boy, possibly "Oakies". Privation was the sign of the times. It was also symbolic of the end of the Proudfoot family line.
It Wasn't Me
This is very interesting. On the surface, I thought this might be a courtroom drama or some ethical dilemma. Old Jack Beecham passed on without a will, only some unratified instructions to Wheeler Catlett to sell his farm to the current occupants Elton and Mary Penn at a set price. He had already decided that they would be worthy successors. His only daughter Clara, who was at that point more like an outsider to Port William, disagreed and sought a higher price. Old Jack's neighbour and the local doctor also had designs on the farm. None of them could be faulted for their wishes. In the end, it was not about money or greed. It was about trust and stewardship. It was about giving and taking that happens between neighbours and about debts that cannot be repaid with money. Wheeler explains to Elton why.
It’s not accountable, because we’re dealing in goods and services that we didn't make, that can’t exist at all except as gifts. Everything about a place that’s different from its price is a gift. Everything about a man or woman that’s different from their price is a gift. The life of a neighborhood is a gift. I know that if you bought a calf from Nathan Coulter you’d pay him for it, and that’s right. But aside from that, you’re friends and neighbors, you work together, and so there’s lots of giving and taking without a price; some that you don’t remember, some that you never knew about. You don’t send a bill. You don’t, if you can help it, keep an account. Once the account is kept and the bill presented, the friendship ends, the neighborhood is finished, and you’re back to where you started. The starting place doesn't have anybody in it but you.”
The Boundary
Another sad story. Mat Feltner explores not only the boundaries of his property, but the boundaries of his life. Four generations worth of memories of family and loved ones come back to him during his walk.
Marvelous collection of short stories compiled from three books including Fidelity, reviewed before. These are my favourites.
The Hurt Man
Berry brings the town of Port William to life, as though it were a living entity, which its own character and personality. The Feltners would experience great loss. But they would also stand out for their strength of character. With a paucity of details, without revealing who the hurt man was or what happened, Berry transforms Mat Feltner's mother Nancy into a towering figure of both authority and mercy. What she did would have an impact on Mat for the rest of his life.
The Consent
Sweet tale of the courtship between Tol Proudfoot and Minnie Quinch. Nice contrast between the big but awkward Tol and the diminuitive but sociable Minnie. And a lively battle for her consent.
Watch with Me
A unique Port William thriller. The unstable Thacker Hample makes off with Tol's shotgun and triggers a tense search for him. What really shown through in this adventure was the strong sense of community, respect and tolerance amongst the Port William folk. Family traits, good or bad, are accepted for what they are. No one blames Tol for losing his shotgun, not even the outspoken Walter Cotman.
"You've got live, whether you want to or not," Tom Hardy said.....Tol said..."You've got to like to live in this world. You can't just mortal it out from one day to the next for three score years and ten." The boys get philosophical.
Nearly to the Fair
A fun road trip and a wonderful relationship between Tol and Minnie and their surrogate ward Elton.
The Solemn Boy
A sad story. Tol and Minnie show their kindness and generosity to a stranger and a boy, possibly "Oakies". Privation was the sign of the times. It was also symbolic of the end of the Proudfoot family line.
It Wasn't Me
This is very interesting. On the surface, I thought this might be a courtroom drama or some ethical dilemma. Old Jack Beecham passed on without a will, only some unratified instructions to Wheeler Catlett to sell his farm to the current occupants Elton and Mary Penn at a set price. He had already decided that they would be worthy successors. His only daughter Clara, who was at that point more like an outsider to Port William, disagreed and sought a higher price. Old Jack's neighbour and the local doctor also had designs on the farm. None of them could be faulted for their wishes. In the end, it was not about money or greed. It was about trust and stewardship. It was about giving and taking that happens between neighbours and about debts that cannot be repaid with money. Wheeler explains to Elton why.
It’s not accountable, because we’re dealing in goods and services that we didn't make, that can’t exist at all except as gifts. Everything about a place that’s different from its price is a gift. Everything about a man or woman that’s different from their price is a gift. The life of a neighborhood is a gift. I know that if you bought a calf from Nathan Coulter you’d pay him for it, and that’s right. But aside from that, you’re friends and neighbors, you work together, and so there’s lots of giving and taking without a price; some that you don’t remember, some that you never knew about. You don’t send a bill. You don’t, if you can help it, keep an account. Once the account is kept and the bill presented, the friendship ends, the neighborhood is finished, and you’re back to where you started. The starting place doesn't have anybody in it but you.”
The Boundary
Another sad story. Mat Feltner explores not only the boundaries of his property, but the boundaries of his life. Four generations worth of memories of family and loved ones come back to him during his walk.
July 12, 2021
These stories are so dear to me.
I love any story of Tol Proudfoot…he and Miss Minnie are (in my opinion) one of the best couples ever written. But “Watch With Me” you see a more serious side of Tol. This story of him and others in the town following Nightlife through Port William to make sure he is safe explains what “membership” even is. They bear with one another in love. I think this was my favorite short story I’ve ever read.
“A Jonquil for Mary Penn” touched me, especially as a woman. We all have this desire to be seen and cared for. Sometimes we have to ask for our needs directly, but sometimes we get to experience the beauty of being known and cared for without having to ask for it. Elton loves Mary and Elton knows Mary and Elton sees Mary. And not in an overly romantic, unbelievable way either. What a beautiful love they share, even when it was borne against expectations.
“The Discovery of Kentucky” had me laughing so hard I cried. After this many years of reading Port William stories, I know the antics of Jayber, Burley and Big Ellis so well that I felt complicit in their hilarious scheme.
I have read “Fidelity” before but I appreciated it even more this time. Burley is such an interesting character. His wildness is never really tamed, however, it finally finds it’s place and is “seated down” in the membership. Danny understands this wildness in a way not many people do (even though all who know him love him for it). This connection makes the service he does for Burley in his last days is so meaningful.
It took me a while to get through these short stories because I wanted to savor and enjoy them. Berry’s writing is just SO GOOD. I can’t get enough of him.
I love any story of Tol Proudfoot…he and Miss Minnie are (in my opinion) one of the best couples ever written. But “Watch With Me” you see a more serious side of Tol. This story of him and others in the town following Nightlife through Port William to make sure he is safe explains what “membership” even is. They bear with one another in love. I think this was my favorite short story I’ve ever read.
“A Jonquil for Mary Penn” touched me, especially as a woman. We all have this desire to be seen and cared for. Sometimes we have to ask for our needs directly, but sometimes we get to experience the beauty of being known and cared for without having to ask for it. Elton loves Mary and Elton knows Mary and Elton sees Mary. And not in an overly romantic, unbelievable way either. What a beautiful love they share, even when it was borne against expectations.
“The Discovery of Kentucky” had me laughing so hard I cried. After this many years of reading Port William stories, I know the antics of Jayber, Burley and Big Ellis so well that I felt complicit in their hilarious scheme.
I have read “Fidelity” before but I appreciated it even more this time. Burley is such an interesting character. His wildness is never really tamed, however, it finally finds it’s place and is “seated down” in the membership. Danny understands this wildness in a way not many people do (even though all who know him love him for it). This connection makes the service he does for Burley in his last days is so meaningful.
It took me a while to get through these short stories because I wanted to savor and enjoy them. Berry’s writing is just SO GOOD. I can’t get enough of him.
January 23, 2009
This book covers about a century of time in the community of Port William, an imaginary town on the Kentucky River, where it joins the Ohio River on Kentucky's northern border. There are stories starting from the 1860s and carrying up to the 1960s, about the families who lived in the area. There is a great map in the back of the book that shows where these families lived, and a geneology of several families and how they related to one another.
It's poignant and funny, and a view of a land of farms and the people who made a living farming and working in town, through wars, weather, and the changes that technology brought. Through the stories, and by checking the map and geneology, you can piece together how these people helped each other through hard times, and depended on one another as times changed.
Berry has a great respect for the land, and the world of nature. Today we don't get out in the natural world enough. But these people fought with and loved the forces of nature that ruled their lives. I wish we could get back to those ways.
It's poignant and funny, and a view of a land of farms and the people who made a living farming and working in town, through wars, weather, and the changes that technology brought. Through the stories, and by checking the map and geneology, you can piece together how these people helped each other through hard times, and depended on one another as times changed.
Berry has a great respect for the land, and the world of nature. Today we don't get out in the natural world enough. But these people fought with and loved the forces of nature that ruled their lives. I wish we could get back to those ways.
September 3, 2022
Wendell Berry's stories are always a delight, with his interconnected tales of Port William, a small farming community where everyone knows everyone else and life moves at a leisurely pace. This collection of 30 stories are chock full of characters that will be old friends to Berry's readers. Each story is a delightful respite from the hectic pace of modern life. My only complaint is that, at 475 pages, it was a bit on the long side. Of course, the only solution to that is to break up the book into two volumes and charge readers twice as much. I suspect, though, that that isn't Berry's style.
January 9, 2025
3 stars
read for fiction writing workshop 🫶
berry definitely has some strong skills in his writing. his setting, characters, and their dynamics are very admirable. i can’t deny his talent, and could even go on about the things he does well. he writes wholesome, feel-good stories that are comforting and sentimental
but honestly his stories are very long winded and can be exhausting to read, especially for a “short story”
a 50+ page story is not a short story brotha 😭
like girl please just editttt take some paragraphs out
sometimes you don’t need the ten pages of backstory that ISNT important to the main plot line, you know?
don’t get me started on the details he shares about farming in every single story. respectfully, i do not care sir please get back to the plot
so although i don’t worship the ground that berry stood on, i did enjoy…at least a few of his stories
i definitely learned some things that i will try to implement in my own writing, which is what matters overall 😊
read for fiction writing workshop 🫶
berry definitely has some strong skills in his writing. his setting, characters, and their dynamics are very admirable. i can’t deny his talent, and could even go on about the things he does well. he writes wholesome, feel-good stories that are comforting and sentimental
but honestly his stories are very long winded and can be exhausting to read, especially for a “short story”
a 50+ page story is not a short story brotha 😭
like girl please just editttt take some paragraphs out
sometimes you don’t need the ten pages of backstory that ISNT important to the main plot line, you know?
don’t get me started on the details he shares about farming in every single story. respectfully, i do not care sir please get back to the plot
so although i don’t worship the ground that berry stood on, i did enjoy…at least a few of his stories
i definitely learned some things that i will try to implement in my own writing, which is what matters overall 😊
September 6, 2021
For years Berry’s writing has been recommended to me but because no one could ever really describe the appeal to me I always put it off. Well I’m kicking myself now. Wendell Berry’s writing is amazing! I feel like I have just spent the past few days laughing out loud and crying alongside deep friends I never knew I had. This collection of chronological short stories from Port William that span about 100 years was where I decided to start my Wendell Berry journey because I figured it would give me a good introduction to all the characters; plus short stories require less commitment than a full novel. These stories reminded me so much of the stories my grandpas, my great aunts, and my great grandmothers would tell and it warmed my heart and made me miss them all! I’m officially a Wendell Berry wholly devoted fan! Like all who recommended him to me I can’t fully put into words the wonderment and peace and beauty of his writing - but don’t make the same mistake as me! Pick up a copy and indulge in the beautiful community of Port William for yourself! You won’t regret it!
September 5, 2015
My favorite book in a long time. A collection of short stories set in the 1800's following several families in rural Kentucky to present times. I listened to this book while driving across a very rural part of Texas to visit my son. It was the perfect setting for the book. And growing up in small towns helped me recognize characteristics of someone I know in each of the characters. I laughed and I cried. It was a beautiful picture of love, families and the cycle of life.
August 31, 2010
Trying something a little different with Berry. I am reading all the novels in "chronological" order according to the chronology given in the ToC of "That Distant Land." The TOC shows where the other novels fit into these collected stories so whenever I come to one, to pull aside and read that complete novel "where" it fits. Its been really good so far.
July 29, 2020
Twenty-three wonderful Port William stories. I've read these one at a time, slowly, savoring each. The first is from 1891 and the last 1986. Some are from his books and others from earlier collections. I could read them over and over and never tire of Berry's genius. It's hard to pick a favorite, but Fidelity is up there at the top of the heap.
August 25, 2021
Beautiful and deeply moving. I was not expecting something so profound. Wendell Berry has torn me apart and I will not go back together the same way. What more could I say that would not depreciate the great treasure here? If you’ve never read Berry before, like me, this seems like a great place to start.
December 12, 2010
The short story "Fidelity" may be one of the finest pieces of modern fiction literature ever penned.
January 22, 2025
Port William characters always feel like home and speak to the beauty, truth, and goodness in ordinary humans.
November 14, 2022
A moving collection of linked short stories about a small town and rural community in Kentucky. The stories span most of the 20th century, and are by turn heart warming, heart breaking, and funny (and sometimes all three).
I listened to the amazing audiobook version on Audible, which felt like it was being read to me one-on one one by Wendell Berry himself. Highly recommended.
I listened to the amazing audiobook version on Audible, which felt like it was being read to me one-on one one by Wendell Berry himself. Highly recommended.
July 24, 2024
Finished listening to this while doing yard work and am wishing that's how I listened to all of it. Between this and Locke Lamora, I have a new appreciation for beautiful prose that my Sanderson-addicted brain has missed (still love him but his affinity for complicated, almost technical, magic interactions makes his storytelling feel blunt by comparison). This book is not all warm & fuzzy feelings and the characters and stories feel so real. Bonus points for being set in my Old Kentucky Home
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