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Willa Sibert Cather was born in Back Creek Valley, Virginia, December 7, 1873. She is noted as one of America’s finest novelists of the early 20th Century. Willa Cather died April 24, 1947. Willa was the first child of Charles and Mary Cather. Willa had two brothers and a sister. Willa’s father was a deputy Sheriff in Virginia.
At the age of nine, Cather’s family moved to Nebraska. Willa enjoyed horseback riding and seemed to be quite the tomboy. During her life, she took enjoyment in many careers. Willa worked as editor, journalist, and chronicler of pioneer days in Western America and writer of fiction. Willa’s work is mixed with the story of people and their development in history including their opinions of personal life, the drama of the immigrant arriving in a new world and the views of personal passion in art. Willa wrote with self-expression and grandeur in an original narrative style.
Willa graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1895. When she first arrived at the University, she was dressed as a man calling herself William Cather. Willa often dressed as a man calling herself William Cather, M.D. Willa never married. Willa’s longest lasting friendships were with women. Many critics conjectured she was a lesbian although there was never any proof. While at the University of Nebraska Willa worked as a drama critic for the “Lincoln Journal.” She makes a short visit to Europe in 1902 returning to the states to continue towards a prolific career as a literary artist.
Willa moved to Pennsylvania living in the cities of Pittsburgh and Allegheny where she worked for the “Daily Leader” and “Home Monthly” and then teaching Latin and English. From 1906 to 1912 Willa lived in New York working for “McClure Magazine.” Willa received many letters of recognition during her lifetime including honorary degrees from the University of California, University of Michigan, from Yale, Princeton, Columbia and a doctorate of letters from the University of Nebraska. Willa also won the Gold Metal of the National Institute and the Pulitzer Prize in 1922. In 1933, Willa received the Prix Femina Americaine an award for illustrious literary works. Willa was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Cather’s writings included essays, short stories, poetry and novels:
· “April Twilights,” 1903
· “The Troll Garden,” 1905
· “Alexander’s Bridge,” 1912
· “O Pioneers,” 1913
· “My Antonia,” 1918
· “One of Ours,” 1922, this is the novel she won the Pulitzer Prize for and it tells about a farm boy from Nebraska going off to war.
· “A Lost Lady,” 1923, this story was made into a silent movie in 1925 and later there was a remake in 1934 starring Barbara Stanwyck
· “The Professor’s House,” 1925
· “My Mortal Enemy,” 1926
· “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” 1927, this story gained Willa Cather the Howells Medal from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1930
· “Shadows on the Rock,’ 1931
· “Lucy Gayheart,” 1935
· “Sapphira and the Slave Girl,” 1940
Willa Cather spent many years of her life living with her friend, Edith Lewis. There have been many rumors about Willa Cather being a lesbian as mentioned earlier and although she dressed as a man many times in her life and spent most of her life living with women, there has never been any proof of her actually being a lesbian. Her longest relationship was with her friend, Edith Lewis and they shared a home in New York City. It was at this home where Willa suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died in April 25, 1947.
Resources:
Willa Cather a Critical Introduction
Willa: The Life of Willa Cather
Willa Cather and Her Critics
Critics
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