Wendell Berry, who wrote about the experiences of farmers and rural Americans in more than 50 books of fiction, essays, and poetry, died at 92, the Associated Press reports.

Berry, a native of Henry County, Kentucky, was educated at the University of Kentucky and Stanford University. He taught at New York University before returning to his home state in 1964 to purchase a farm, Lanes Landing, where he would live and work for the rest of his life.

He made his literary debut in 1960 with the novel Nathan Coulter, following that up seven years later with A Place on Earth. He went on to publish several more works of fiction, including Fidelity, Watch With Me, Jayber Crow, and Marce Catlett.

Berry’s poetry collections include The Country of Marriage, Entries, and Window Poems, and his works of nonfiction include Another Turn of the Crank, Life Is a Miracle, and The Art of Loading Brush. His essay collection Dispatches From Rural America is slated for publication next month by Counterpoint.

Berry was a longtime environmental activist, and his work inspired the founding of the Berry Center, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to bringing focus, knowledge and cohesion to the work of changing our ruinous industrial agricultural system into a system and culture that uses nature as the standard, accepts no permanent damage to the ecosphere, and takes into consideration human health in local communities.”

Berry’s admirers paid tribute to him on social media. On the platform X, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie posted, “Fourth District Kentuckian Wendell Berry has passed away. He protested the Vietnam War, factory farming, and mountaintop removal. He was loved by many of us for his writings on honest sustainable farming and conservation of the land.”

And Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote, “Yesterday we said goodbye to a literary giant and a great Kentuckian, Wendell Berry. His writing reminded us to live simply and to love our neighbors.”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.