01/09/2026
Poet Wendell Berry has died. Within the past few weeks, we have lost many singers, writers, actors and artists who spoke to our souls and gave us a sense of hope, of belonging and of identity. They also often inspired action. Wendell was an environmental activist, his most famous poem expressing why looking after our environment is so important.
Dolly Parton was a social activist, using her funds and her love to support literacy and the economic and social betterment of poorer communities.
They were inspirational. Arts matter, they let us express what we perhaps can't and give a voice to those of us, most of us, who want peace, healthy and happier communities and a chance to pass on a beautiful world to our children.
We have those people amongst us today. Their's are precious voices whose work makes our lives richer and who speak to a better future.
The arts: artists, singers, musicians, writers, actors, makers, designers and storytellers, are not a luxury.
