Willa Cather’s letters to become public domain in 2018

Willa Cather is perhaps the most famous female writer of the American Midwest. Cather was born and raised in Virginia and Nebraska, and despite spending most of her life in New York City, she never truly left the towns of her youth. This is clear in her massive oeuvre, in which works such as O Pioneers! (1913) and My Antonia (1918) focus on the realities of life in the heart of the country. This January, we’ll learn more about the woman who left behind this legacy when the collection of her 3000+ letters enters the public domain.

Due to a clause in Cather’s will, her letters could not be published or even quoted up until very recently. In early January, however, scholars will have access to another facet of Cather’s life with the entirety of her remaining letters. The University of Nebraska, Lincoln is creating a digital archive of Cather’s correspondence at the Complete Letters of Willa Cather.

Cather’s prolific career is duly chronicled within the library’s collection:

Browse more of Cather’s works here.