Willa Cather in Person: Interviews, Speeches, and Letters

Deriving from newspapers and magazines, and now first published in book form, this collection of ephemeral materials helps complete our picture of a major American novelist. An accomplished journalist herself, a reluctant public speaker and a splendid letter writer, Willa Cather felt that the press had become her enemy in later years. That she was uncomfortable with fame is evident in these interviews, which range from 1897, when she was a young mgazine editor, to 1940, when as a famous literary figure she talked with Stephen and Rosemary Benet. Nevertheless, since the interviews provide new insights into Cather's theory of fiction and the art of writing, they will be important to students and specialists. Bohlke teaches English at Bard College. Illustrations not seen by PW. (June)