After six or so tries I finally managed to become a contributor (in name only, still; this doesn't count). Thanks for asking me in. IMO (never h), the group is most distinguished.
It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
Carol, glad you made it! A few of us will be reading the Henrietta Lacks book in August -- thanks to NY's strong recommendation. Hope you can join us for that discussion -- and many more to come!
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, I'm stuck in Minneapolis waiting for a flight to DC. Parsons, I have an interesting book along that might interest you -- For the Soul of France, about the "culture wars in the age of Dreyfus." Fascinating reading so far about the struggle between the men of science and the men of the church.