& Ink
John Stevens Berry & the Trials of a Poet
60+ ACTIVE LIVING // STORY BY MIKE WHYE // PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL SITZMANN // DESIGN BY RENEE LUDWICK
A
lthough he’s been known as John, Steve, Mr. Berry, JSB. counsel, lieutenant, captain, author, poet, husband, dad, radio host, Iowan, Nebraskan, American, and more, John Stevens Berry uses his full name. In his birthplace of Onawa, Iowa, many called him John. However, when he attended Stanford University, a John Berry was already there. So, an advisor called the newcomer John Stevens Berry to avoid confusion—and despite the length, it stuck. Over the years, he’s inhabited several different worlds. In the realm of law, John (as he prefers to be called) has written more than his share of contracts dense with legal terms, complex wills divvying up property, and calculated arguments voiced before judge and jury. He has also written articles, books, and poems that are far removed from the hefty legal tomes anchoring bookshelves in judges’ chambers and law offices. His fourth book, Foot Soldier, now in its second printing by Solo Press as of June, reveals yet another world—one in motions and briefs give way to stanzas and abstractions. More than 100 poems chronicle John’s experiences as an army lawyer in Vietnam, his early years in Onawa, friends, family, myths, and passages in life. Nebraska humorist Roger Welsch writes in the book’s introduction: “In an age of froth and whimsy, Berry gives us poems made of iron. He is a demanding poet. His poems require close listening, rather than mere skimming.” // 110 //
60 PLUS • SEPTEMBER 2023
The Platte, Nor the Mekong Not a four acre farm to provide one meal a day. Just the flash and blaze of lightning and a hay stack. Still, I slap leather which isn’t there for my pistol, which isn’t there, for reassurance, which, for a split second, isn’t there. Corn fields, not rice paddies. Steel irrigation systems, not ba gia* with her ancient legs walking in place on treadles, and handle arms made of bamboo to move water. After war, you are never quite where you belong. *grandmother Although born in Iowa, John’s roots run deep in Nebraska with a father from Wayne and mother from Arapahoe. His maternal grandfather was a lawyer in Beaver City, and his uncle practiced law in McCook. In his younger years, John listened as the two argued cases. A cousin and a great uncle also practiced law in Sioux City, Iowa, and another great uncle practiced law in
Wayne and was president of the Nebraska Bar Association. John began writing poems and short stories in junior high. Upon graduating from high school, he attended New Mexico Military Institute. “I got some nice awards for some short stories I wrote there,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed writing.” Next, he studied at Stanford University and wrote for its humor magazine, The Stanford Chaparral. He enrolled in creative writing workshops—including courses taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Wallace Stegner. Some of his poems, essays, and stories were published during his time at Stanford. Twice, he received awards from the Academy of American Poets and appeared in an anthology of college poets. In May 1960, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and, having been in the Army’s Reserve Officer Training Corps, became a second lieutenant in the infantry. However, he was ordered not to report for duty until the following January. In the interim, he enrolled in the University of Iowa’s Writer’s Workshop for the fall semester that year.