Willa Siebert Cather was born in her maternal grandmother's home in 1873 in the western region of Virginia (Robinson). Cather's name was originally Willela (after her father's younger sister who died as a child), but the family always called her "Willie." They did this because as a child Willa altered her name in the family Bible and insisted that she was named after her uncle William Sibert Boak (Woodress).

In the spring of 1883, when Willa was nine, the Cathers moved to a farm near Red Cloud, Nebraska. Cather described her thoughts of this land to an interviewer. She said, "As we drove further and further out into the country , I felt a good deal as we had come to the end of everything." (Cather quoted in Woodress). They came to Nebraska by train because the journey by wagon wo

Throughout her college years Cather continued to write for the Journal and took any chance to earn money writing for the paper. Even if that meant putting aside her school work to do it. In the two years she wrote for the Journal she produced over 300 pieces, many of which were essays (Woodress). Cather became the Journal's drama critic and she quickly made a name for herself. "Her work showed a maturity and poise not expected in so young a critic, and her knowledge of drama and literature, continental and classic, as well as English was extensive" (Robinson).

Willa Cather's primary inspiration was her home town of Red Cloud. Many of her books won her literary awards, as well as the admiration of authors of every generation. It takes a great writer to take on the many literary occupations that Cather took on. However, it takes an even greater writer to raise each of those occupations to an art form. For these reasons, and many more of which could never be described, are why Willa Cather is one of America's finest writers.

uld have been long and tiring. Cather's first home in the state of Nebraska was with her Grandfather. (Robinson). "Its most characteristic feature which she described faithfully in My Antonia was a basement kitchen and dining room." (Robinson) However, a year later the Cather's left the farm to live in the town of Red Cloud, so the children could attend school.

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Approximate Word count = 1586
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)