Writing is a solitary craft that depends on social experience. Hence writers need to have lived in the world to be able to understand and explain life. But this group knowledge is finally expressed in prose within the solitude of a study or writing room. Furthermore, since writing is often based on autobiographical experiences, many novelists zealously guard their privacy as they fear ridicule from the public. No one was more aware of these issues than Willa Cather, the great Nebraska writer. In today’s sex obsessed culture, there seems to be an endless appetite concerning Cather’s sexual orientation. The fact is that no defining statement can be made about this as most of her correspondence was destroyed upon her death. This fixation likely says more about the pathetic state of modern public discourse than it does about Willa Cather. While not avoiding these questions, Milton Meltzer has written a sensitive account of her life in this fine book, "Willa Cather: A Biography."
Willa Cather was born on December 7, 1873 in rural Virginia. Her family was from a relatively prosperous class. As a young girl, Willa often accompanied her father on their farm and carefully noticed the beauty of the physical world. At the young age of 9, Willa’s family moved to the flat plains of Nebraska. She grew up in the thriving town of Red Cloud and became interested in reading, music, drama and science. The vast swirl of European immigrants settling Nebraska through the Homestead Act exposed the young girl to an array of cultures and languages. Many of the characters would later appear in her famous novels under different names. Upon graduating from high school, Willa entered the University of Nebraska. During her college years she began developing her immense literary talents as a drama critic and editor. These skills would prove valuable as she became an editor for leading journals while still in her twenties. Unfortunately, all of this journalistic work left little time for creative writing. At last she was able to publish the powerful novel, "O Pioneers," which gave her the financial independence to leave the field of journalism and write creatively for the rest of her life.
As short stories and novels continued to flow from her handwritten drafts, World War I erupted. This calamity caused a severe psychological problem for intellectuals. If mankind always strove for the good, why were millions killed in this hateful war? By about 1922, a break was happening in the literary classes. While many writers made a sad peace with modern society by accepting a pessimistic view leading to a godless existentialism, Willa Cather seems to have rejected modern problems and turned to a simpler time when the United States was being settled. Her books from this time in her life until her death include "My Antonia," "Shadow on the Rock" and the famous "Death Comes for the Archbishop."
What continued to motivate Willa Cather? Where did her passion to write originate? Why were so many of her novels set in Nebraska? What allowed her to describe the geography of an area so poignantly that readers will feel they can see and experience the land before visiting it? Why do some of her greatest novels have a distinctly "Catholic" feeling? To find out the answers to these and other questions, read "Willa Cather: A Biography" by Milton Meltzer.
I believe this unhealthy fixation on Cather’s personal life, mentioned above, should be laid to rest. Her novels are beautifully written and need no "informed critics" to understand. I hope you read Meltzer’s excellent biography and then move on to Cather’s outstanding novels. May I suggest "My Antonia," and "Death Comes for the Archbishop"? They are magnificent testimonies to the transforming power of love. Enjoy!
