December 2023: Willa Cather

And we will close the year with Willa Cather (1873–1947) - in the month of her 150th anniversary.

An American writer, known for her depiction of life on the Great Plains, she had published 12 novels and some stories (and poems). Her most popular books are her 3 early novels, forming her thematically connected Prairie Trilogy: O Pioneers! (1913), The Song of the Lark (1915) and My Ántonia (1918) - these were her 2th, 3rd and 4th novel overall) although she won the Pulitzer with One of Ours (1922, her 5th novel) in 1923.

What do you plan to read? What had you read?

I've been meaning to read The Song of the Lark for ages, but somehow it always ends up at the bottom of the pile. It's my plan to finally read it in December.

One short book of hers that's not very well known and I can recommend is A Lost Lady, which is about the Old West. I thought it was quite powerful for such a little book (150 pages).

>2 kac522: I should never announce plans before I open the book! Of course, I've changed my mind, and I'll be reading instead The Professor's House (1925), as well as some stories from Willa Cather: 24 Stories.

My original plan, The Song of the Lark, is longish, and I have too many other books I want to finish before the end of the year, so it's being kicked down the road.

Passing on Cather. I have read two, O, Pioneers and My Antonia and did not care for either.

My first taste of Cather was Neighbor Rosicky and I was delighted.

I’m going to listen to Paul’s Case, a short story, just because it’s what my library has available.

To commemorate her 150th birthday (December 7), I read several stories from the collection 24 Stories. This volume collects stories from the earliest part of Cather's writing career, 1892-1912. I read "Peter" (1892), "Lou, the Prophet" (1892) and The Burglar's Christmas (1896). The first two are set in Nebraska, and the last is set in Chicago. I plan to read them all this month.

I also read the first few chapters of The Professor's House (1925), which is set in the fictional college town of Hamilton, where Professor St. Peter can glimpse Lake Michigan from his attic window. The novel is in 3 large sections; the middle section "Tom Outland's Story", was written first as a short story; the first section ("The Family") and the last section ("The Professor") were written later to frame around the central story to create the full novel.

I'm already enjoying this novel; I love this passage describing Lake Michigan:

But the great fact in life, the always possible escape from dullness, was the lake. The sun rose out of it, the day began there; it was like an open door that nobody could shut. The land and all its dreariness could never close in on you. You had only to look at the lake, and you knew you would soon be free.

>6 kac522: I finished The Professor's House and I'm not sure how I feel about it. There's beautiful writing, but I am not sure what Cather was trying to get across. There's not much action, just small events among family members, with a story in the middle about the Southwest. There is disdain for materialism, and yet the most materialistic guy in the book is the most generous. There is uncertainty about family and family relationships. I probably need to read it again to get a better handle on it.

I read a couple more stories in Willa Cather: 24 Stories, but they haven't been especially memorable. These are all stories Cather wrote early in her career, and I think it shows. I'll eventually finish them before the month is out.

I thought I would post here my summary of Chasing Bright Medusas: A Life of Willa Cather by Benjamin Taylor, published in 2023. This is a loving, short biography of Willa Cather. Taylor weaves important events in Cather's life with summaries, extracts and analyses of her works as reflections of her life experiences. Bringing the woman and the writer together are quotes from Cather's letters, only recently available to scholars.

At only 180 pages, this is not a mammoth, all-inclusive tome, but rather a gentle and comforting introduction to her work, her loves and her character. If you're new to Cather, this is a wonderful place to start. If you know and love Cather, this is a real delight to read, like a visit with an old, beloved friend.