By Kathy Johnson

Kentucky poet, novelist, environmentalist and University of Kentucky alumnus Wendell Berry delivered the 2012 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities last night in Washington, D.C.  Berry was named earlier this year by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as this year's Jefferson Lecturer, the highest honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities.

The lecture, titled "It All Turns on Affection," was delivered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

To read coverage of Berry's speech by Inside Higher Education visit this website

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/04/24/wendell-berry-delivers-annual-jefferson-lecture-humanities or click here.

To read coverage of Berry's speech by the Chronicle of Higher Education visit this website

http://chronicle.com/article/In-Jefferson-Lecture-Wendell/131648/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en or click here.

A video of Berry's speech is expected to be posted to the NEH website within 24-48 hours:http://events.tvworldwide.com/Events/NEH2012JeffersonLecture.aspx.

To learn more about other Jefferson Lecturers, visit http://www.neh.gov/about/awards/jefferson-lecture.

Photo courtesy of Ed Reinke, AP Images