Cather Studies Vol. 13

Cather Studies, Volume 13 explores the myriad ways that these crucial years in Pittsburgh shaped Cather’s writing career and the artistic, professional, and personal connections she made there.

University of Nebraska Press: July 2021
Paperback: 378 pages

Willa Cather wrote about the places she knew, including Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia. Often forgotten among these essential locations has been Pittsburgh. During the ten years Pittsburgh was her home (1896–1906), Cather worked as an editor, journalist, teacher, and freelance writer. She mixed with all sorts of people and formed friendships both ephemeral and lasting. She published extensively—and not just profiles and reviews but also a collection of poetry, April Twilights, and more than thirty short stories, including several collected in The Troll Garden that are now considered masterpieces: “A Death in the Desert,” “The Sculptor’s Funeral,” “A Wagner Matinee,” and “Paul’s Case.” During extended working vacations through 1916, she finished four novels in Pittsburgh.

With contributions from fourteen well-known Cather scholars, this collection of essays recognizes the importance Pittsburgh played in Cather’s life and work and deepens our appreciation of how her art examines and elucidates the human experience.

Editors

Timothy W. Bintrim is a professor of English at Saint Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. James A. Jaap is a teaching professor of English and the assistant chief academic officer at the Greater Allegheny campus of the Pennsylvania State University. Kimberly Vanderlaan is an associate professor of English at California University of Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.