Willa Cather: A Critical Biography

1082 Willa Cather: A Critical Biography, by E. K. Brown completed by Leon Edel (read 24 Sep 1970) Having now read all of Cather's novels except Alexander's Bridge, I read this biography. It is mostly concerned with her works and since I have read eight of her novels this month I enjoyed the book. Cather is a great writer . She was born Dec 7, 1873 in Virginia, moved to Webster County, Neb., in 1884, attended the U. of Nebraska , went to Pittsburgh, and in 1912 gave up other work and wrote--she lived in New York by then, and till she died on Apr 24, 1947. Oddly enough, one of the trivial things I remember for no known reason is that on the day her death was reported in the Des Moines Register I noted the news story as I was walking show more outside of Keane Hall on the Loras College campus. She is buried at Jaffrey, N. H. show less

"One of the great American novelists of the 20th century has been brought to vivid life by scholar and biographer Edward K. Brown in Willa Cather. The biography traces Willa Cather's life as it was illuminated by her art -- from her lifelong fascination with Nebraska and the Southwest, where she found the beauty and raw power that inspired O Pioneers! and My Antonia, to the compelling religious experiences that influenced The Professor's House and Death Comes for the Archbishop. Completed by award-winning biographer Leon Eden following Brown's sudden death, this biography chronicles the life and spirit of one of America's greatest woman writers." from book cover