News from Catherland Pa Ge 3

Volume 1, Issue 2

J ul y 20 11

T HE N EWS F ROM C ATHERLANDC OUNDATION PPOINTS ESLIE EVY AS INSIDE THIS ISSUE: F A L L E XECUTIVE D IRECTOR Donation allows 2 Leslie Levy, Lincoln, the Foundation to acquire Cather Nebraska, has been ap- Second Home pointed Executive Di- rector of the Foundation and will assume her new A Virtual Cather 2 World made duties August 1. possible by the ―I am exceedingly Sherwood family hopeful that someone as bright, sophisticated and Dorothy Mattison 2 organized as Leslie will retires after 53 serve us well in so many years of service ways, building on our successes arm-in-arm Photos from our 3 with the strong staff we spring events have in place in Red and is currently employed The Board of Gover- Cloud,‖ said Jay Yost, in the Nebraska Attorney nors is confident her 25th anniversary 3 President Emeritus. General’s Office in Lin- skills and experience will of the Norma Ross Leslie is originally coln. In that capacity, she enrich the Foundation’s Walter Scholar- from Grand Island, has has worked with a diverse efforts to promote and ship program her law degree from the constituency, including preserve Cather’s legacy. University of Nebraska, nonprofit organizations. Join us for our 4 upcoming events I NTERNATIONAL C ATHER S EMINAR H OSTS 1 1 5 P ARTICIPANTS

Smith College, in scholar Nina Baym dis- Copland’s setting of 12 Northampton, Massa- cussed their personal en- Poems of Emily Dickinson, by chusetts, was a wonder- counters with Cather’s fic- Sarah Bach and Emily Mur- ful setting for 115 Cather tion. Also among Seminar phy. scholars and devotees to activities was an exhibition The next International address the theme ―Willa of Cather materials from Seminar, ―Willa Cather: Cather and the 19th Cen- Smith College’s Mortimer Canyon, Rock, & Mesa tury.‖ In addition to ple- Rare Book Room; a trip to Country‖ will be held on nary addresses by emi- Cather’s gravesite in Jaffrey June 16-22, 2013 at Flag- nent Cather scholars, Center, New Hampshire; staff, Arizona. For more acclaimed novelist Sue and a closing banquet, with information, visit our web- Miller and distinguished a performance of Aaron site at www.WillaCather.org. Pa ge 2 Volume 1, Issue 2

D ONATION A LLOWS THE F OUNDATION TO A CQUIRE C ATHER S ECOND H OME Thanks to a generous gift helping her cousin Mary Virginia Ferguesson family home in one from Jim and Angela South- Auld serve tea to their Aunt of her short stories, ―The Best wick, the Willa Cather Founda- Willa during her visits to Red Years.‖ tion recently purchased the Cloud.‖ The Cather Second Home Cather Second Home. Accord- Willa Cather’s parents pur- was purchased by Doug and ing to Jim Southwick, the home chased this home in 1903 and Charlene Hoschouer in 1998. held wonderful memories for left their little rented home at They restored the home based his mother, Helen Louise Third and Cedar where Cather on information given to them by Cather Southwick. ―Even in her had spent her formative Helen Louise Cather Southwick, final years, when very few other years. She was 30 at the time. which is described in the book memories remained to her, she Over the next 28 years, Cather The House According to Helen. The delighted in the recollection of often visited her family in this Hoschouers operated the home house during summers as a bed and breakfast. It was C and occasionally for later purchased and operated by Christmas. It has been Dee McCurdy and closed its reported that she used to doors in 2010. put up a tent-like awning A virtual housewarming on the upper front porch party is planned for later this and spent a great deal of year in order to supply the home time there. Cather’s last with linens, china, and period- “We have four visit to Red Cloud was for appropriate furnishings. Anyone a family reunion at Christ- wishing to make an in-kind gift nice bedrooms mas in 1931. She de- can contact the Foundation toll- Cather Second Home at upstairs to make 541 North Seward Street in Red Cloud scribed this house as the free at 866-731-7304 them comfortable, A V IRTUAL C ATHER W ORLD M ADE P OSSIBLE should they all BY THE J OHN S HERWOOD F AMILY come home Thanks to a generous grant based tour, which is not cur- perience by pre-exploring at once.” from the John Sherwood fam- rently part of the Foundation’s the site online. Board of ily of Red Cloud, Nebraska, educational programming. Governors’ members Joel - “The Best Years” the Willa Cather Foundation is A virtual tour of Cather’s Geyer, former Senior Pro- developing a virtual tour of Red Cloud will allow those ducer for Nebraska Public by Willa Cather Willa Cather’s life and work, who cannot visit the town in Television, and Tom Galla- centering on her childhood south central Nebraska to gher, a writer and communi- home of Red Cloud and sur- learn more about Cather’s life cations consultant, will serve rounding sites in Webster there and about the area itself. as project managers; they County. Funding from the Those who do make the pil- hope to have the tour avail- Sherwood family supports the grimage to Red Cloud can able on the Foundation web- creation of a self-guided web- have a richer educational ex- site by early 2012.

L ONG- TIME T OUR G UIDE R ETIRES The Willa Cather Founda- years, she has given thousands archives. Help us continue to tion was proud to honor of tours of the Cather historic celebrate Dorothy’s retirement Dorothy Mattison for her 53 sites in Red by sending a card years of service with an open Cloud, Nebraska, to the Willa Cather house retirement party on and has assisted Foundation, Attn: Friday, July 8. Dorothy began hundreds of Dorothy Mattison, her career in the late 1950’s Cather scholars 413 North Webster when she was recruited by who have re- Street, Red Cloud, the Foundation’s founder, searched the Nebraska 68970. Mildred Bennett. Over the Foundation's

Dorothy Mattison The News From Catherland Pa ge 3

P HOTOS F ROM O UR S PRING E VENTS

This year’s spring Workshop themed ―Place- next Spring Conference, events, including: the 56th Based Identity;‖ and the scheduled for May 31 – annual Willa Cather inaugural ―Music on the June 2, 2012. Visit Spring Conference Prairie‖ were enjoyed by all www.WillaCather.org for themed ―Willa Cather and who visited Red Cloud to more information about Her Popular Culture;‖ the take part in the festivi- our upcoming events. th 4 annual Prairie Writers’ ties. Save the date for the C

Prairie exploration at Rin Tin Tin XI performs Pilgrim Classic Country the 4th annual Prairie at the 56th annual Willa performance at “Music on Writers’ Workshop Cather Spring Conference the Cather Prairie”

25TH A NNIVERSARY OF THE N ORMA R OSS “Cather would be W ALTER S CHOLARSHIP P ROGRAM extremely proud Since 1987, the Willa to help us celebrate this and always appreciated by of all of them and Cather Foundation has milestone year.‖ He added the Conference attendees. awarded 29 scholarships total- that ―among those who re- Jamie DeTour of Hastings delighted with ing more than $140,000 turned were the first and High School has the distinc- through the Norma Ross third honorees. Cather tion of being the twenty-fifth their many Walter Scholarship program. would be extremely proud of first place scholarship recipi- accomplishments” 2011 marked the 25th anni- all of them and delighted ent and received $1,000. versary of the Foundation’s with their many Emily Burns effort to provide scholarship accomplish- of Blair High support to female Nebraska ments.‖ School was high school graduates who At the awarded the continue their higher educa- Norma Ross $750 prize for tion as English majors in ac- Walter Scholar- first runner- credited colleges or universi- ship award- up. And the ties. presentation, $500 scholar- This year’s Scholarship three young ship for sec- award-presentation--held women officially Virgil Albertini presents ond runner- on April 29th at the 56th an- joined the family Jamie DeTour with the up was pre- nual Willa Cather Spring Con- of others who 25th NRW Scholarship sented to Laura ference—had special guests in had received this Sunderman of Hastings High attendance. Virgil Albertini, prestigious honor. This School. Chairman of the Scholarship year’s three finalists, who The Scholarship fund was program, had been in contact graduated from their respec- established through a gener- with past scholarship recipi- tive high schools in May, ous bequest from Norma ents and several attended the gave their original essays on Ross Walter. She was an avid anniversary celebration. ―It's Cather, which is a part of the reader of Willa Cather’s thrilling to hear their stories,‖ Scholarship’s extensive ap- works and frequently visited Albertini stated, and plication process. This event Red Cloud and Catherland. ―we enjoyed seeing them back is a time-honored tradition Willa Cather Foundation Nonprofit Org. 413 North Webster Street Red Cloud, Nebraska 68970 U.S. Postage Phone: 402.746.2653 P A I D Toll-Free: 866-731-7304 Fax: 402-746-2652 Red Cloud, NE [email protected] Permit No. 10 www.WillaCather.org

BOARD OF GOVERNORS President: Susan Maher, Duluth, MN Vice President: Thomas Reese Gallagher, New York, NY Become a Facebook “fan” of the Secretary: Willa Cather Foundation! Visit Glenda J. Pierce, Lincoln, NE www.facebook.com and search Treasurer: for the Willa Cather Foundation. David H. Porter, Saratoga Springs, NY President Emeritus: John A (Jay) Yost, New York, NY Virgil Albertini, Kansas City, MO Sara Corless, Mission Hills, KS David B. Garwood, Red Cloud, NE Joel Geyer, Lincoln, NE Andrew Jewell, Lincoln, NE Ruth H. Keene, Omaha, NE Lynette Krieger, Hastings, NE Fritz Mountford, Hastings, NE John J. Murphy, Santa Fe, NM Charles A. Peek, Grand Island, NE Visit us online at www.WillaCather.org to browse our bookstore or sign up for our e-Newsletter.

Guy Reynolds, Lincoln, NE The Willa Cather Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation made possible by generous grants, Ann Romines, Alexandria, VA sponsorships, and individual donations. Each year, the Foundation works to provide quality conferences, Nancy Sherwood, Red Cloud, NE performances, and exhibits for our audience members. We are honored to accept donations and sponsorships Steve Shively, Logan, UT via mail or through our website at www.WillaCather.org. Your support is greatly appreciated. James P. Southwick, Heber City, UT C. Kay Stahly, Kearney, NE Robert Thacker, Canton, NY Steven Trout, Hays, KS Joseph R. Urgo, St. Mary’s City, MD UPCOMING EVENTS Lu Williams, Red Cloud, NE July 22, 23, at 7:30 pm & July 24 at 3:30 pm: Burning Barn—$12 ADVISORY BOARD Set amidst the volatile, mood-altering, ever-changing backdrop of the rural Nebraska Bruce P. Baker II, Omaha, NE countryside, the play ―Burning Barn‖ is a study of family, boredom, adultery, Laurie Smith Camp, Omaha, NE repressed anger, young love, hope, and of ties that bind. † Charles Cather, Long Beach, CA Carol Cope, Kearney, NE Sunday, July 24, at 1:30 pm: “50 Years of Faces and Places”—Free James Fitzgibbon, Red Cloud, NE Nebraska Educational Telecommunications legend Ron Hull explores 50 years of Nebraska Jane Renner Hood, Lincoln, NE history, told through his experiences with Mari Sandoz, John Neihardt, Sandy Dennis, Frank Ron Hull, Lincoln, NE Morrison, Terry Carpenter, Johnny Rodgers, and more. You’ll find this program and Betty Kort, Hastings, NE Mellanee Kvasnicka, Omaha, NE Ron’s anecdotes funny, poignant, and inspiring.

Lucia Woods Lindley, Evanston, IL & New York, NY Dale McDole, Overland Park, KS August 5 at 7:00 pm & August 6 at 4:00 pm: The Pied Piper—$10 Gary L. Meyer, Red Cloud, NE Presented by Missoula Children’s Theatre and sponsored by the Kinder Porter Scott Family Nancy S. Picchi, New York, NY Foundation, Red Cloud Women’s Chamber, and the Republican Valley Arts Council. Rhonda Seacrest, Lincoln, NE Auditions for grades 1-12 will be held August 1 at 10:00 am. John N. Swift, Whittier, CA Gary W. Thompson, Red Cloud, NE August 15-September 10: Social Networking 1890: Nebraska Opera Houses in their Heyday—Free Organized by Jay Yost, this exhibit contains over 150 enlarged images and an assortment STAFF of memorabilia associated with 60 opera houses from around the state. Ashley Olson, Associate Executive Director Stephany Thompson, Director of Programming September 19-25: Remembering Our Fallen—Free Jennifer Pankoke, Office Manager Cheryl Wilson, Buildings and Sites Curator This traveling memorial from the Strategic Air and Space Museum is a photo exhibit of 98 soldiers Karin Prellwitz, Maintenance from Nebraska and western Iowa. It is a profoundly meaningful reminder of the preciousness Dorothy Mattison, Senior Tour Guide of life and liberty, and the honor and sacrifice of those, our own friends Priscilla Hollingshead, Tour Guide and neighbors, who have given their lives to protect ours. Angela Duca, Office Assistant/Tour Guide Barb Kudrna, Tour Guide October 15-December 15: Portraits of the Prairie by Richard Schilling—Free Sylvia Andersen, Tour Guide This traveling show of original artwork from Schillings book, Portraits of the Prairie—The Kay Blackstone, Tour Guide Land That Inspired Willa Cather, features one-hundred-ten watercolor paintings and ink drawings. Reception on October 15 at 5:30 pm and book signing on October 17 from 1:00-3:00 pm.