This year the 66th annual Willa Cather Spring Conference will, for the second time, be offered virtually, welcoming new audiences from around the world while allowing the same valuable opportunities to connect with conference speakers and other participants.
Willa Cather and Popular Print Culture will explore Willa Cather’s work in relation to newspapers and magazines. From Nebraska to Pittsburgh and New York, Willa Cather’s career as a writer was—and has been, even since her death in 1947—inextricably intertwined with various popular print forms. This conference will focus on the intersections of Cather’s life and writings with newspapers and magazines.
Traditionally held the first weekend in June—this year June 3-5—the annual Willa Cather Spring Conference is also an opportunity to extend our offerings to the local Red Cloud and rural Nebraska communities. On Saturday, June 5 the public is invited to select on-site events at the Red Cloud Opera House, open houses at several historic sites, and a guided prairie tour at the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie, with virtual options for those who cannot be there in person this year. A complete roster of activities can be found here on our website.
The 2021 Spring Conference will feature a full roster of virtual and online events; special events (noted in the agenda) will be held in person in Red Cloud, with bonus virtual materials for those who are not on-site. Dr. Charles Johanningsmeier, a Willa Cather scholar and professor of English Literature at University of Nebraska-Omaha, is our Spring Conference Academic Director. Note that several offerings are free virtual events made possible thanks to Humanities Nebraska.
Presenters include:
Radhika Jones, editor in chief of Vanity Fair magazine, will deliver the keynote address virtually, and live, on Friday evening, June 4 at 7:00 p.m. CST. A question and answer discussion will follow. Jones has brought fresh perspectives and diverse voices and profiles to the magazine along with her extensive literary and editorial experience since assuming her editorship in 2017. According to one source, Jones has been tasked with “revamping and revivifying a marquee title in a rapidly shifting media landscape.” She is also the first Indian-American to serve as editor of a major American print magazine.
In her keynote address and following conversation with attendees, Jones will bring the perspective of a modern-day magazine editor, which is especially intriguing considering WillaCather’s own time as managing editor—first for a year at the Home Monthly in 1896-97 and then for six years at McClure’s, beginning in 1906—before her illustrious career as a novelist.
Dr. Jean Lee Cole has been a professor of English literature at Loyola University of Maryland since 2001, focusing on American literature as it pertains to race, gender, landscapes, and its place in culture. She is the editor of the journal American Periodicals, and her scholarship on American periodicals and visual culture makes her an ideal speaker for this conference. Her lecture on Willa Cather and magazine illustration is sure to be one of the highlights of the upcoming conference. Cole was raised in Nebraska and Iowa. She will deliver the opening plenary address virtually on Thursday, June 3, at 7:00 p.m. CST.
The three-day event will also feature panel discussions, our annual scholarship awards to high school students and educators, and a gallery exhibit. Local on-site activities will take place on Saturday, June 5 with related virtual offerings for our remote attendees. The conference will end on Saturday evening with a performance by Animal Engine. A fully tax-deductible ticket for this event supports our mission to promote Willa Cather’s legacy through education, preservation, and the arts.
Highlights include: All events are listed in Central Time for our virtual audiences.
FRIDAY, JUNE 4
● High school scholarship awards and presentations (virtual pre-recorded presentations and a live Q&A via Zoom) — Friday, June 4 at 9:00 a.m.
● Gallery Tour and Artist Talk with Karen Vierneisel, artist and owner of Karen’s Fine Art (virtual) at 1:00 p.m. Features pre-recorded presentation and a live Q&A via Zoom. ● Keynote Address: Radhika Jones, editor in chief of Vanity Fair, 7:00 p.m. A live virtual presentation, with a Q&A, via Zoom.
SATURDAY, JUNE 5
● Guided Prairie Walk and Readings, Willa Cather Memorial Prairie, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. • Onsite participants may join education staff at the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie for a guided prairie experience and Cather readings that explore her relationship with and feeling for the Nebraska prairie. Virtual participants can also enjoy the readings and a virtual tour.
● The Passing Show, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (virtual) • This panel is live via Zoom followed by a Q&A. Join panelists Radhika Jones, Jean Lee Cole, Matthew Lavin, Kelsey Squire, and Robert Thacker as they explore the Spring Conference topic, “Willa Cather and Popular Print Culture.” This panel allows for significant exchange and inquiry into the larger questions surrounding our conference: Why do Cather’s words matter? What can she tell us about our experiences today? (Speakers will join the event virtually, but onsite guests may participate in the Red Cloud Opera House auditorium.)
● Campaign for the Future Tours, 3:00 – 5:15 p.m. Onsite participants may visit recently renovated historic sites—the Pavelka Farmstead (3:00 p.m.) and Burlington Depot (4:15 p.m.)—with special conference programming. The recently renovated Pavelka Farmstead, one of American literature’s most beloved sites, has work completed on the exterior and interior of the home and grounds, thanks to the generous support of donors to the WCF’s Campaign for the Future. The recently renovated Burlington Depot in Red Cloud has also undergone extensive interior and exterior work on the building and grounds, and guests may tour during the open house. Digital conference-goers can experience the renovated historic sites virtually.
● Happy Hour and Premiere of Henrietta Solway — Saturday, June 5, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Happy hour followed by an exciting new production. Animal Engine Theatre Company will present a world premiere play, Henrietta Solway, a work commissioned by the National Willa Cather Center. Combining the short fiction and serialized novels of Willa Cather into one epic story, this piece is performed in Animal Engine’s signature style, a few simple props, and song. It will be presented virtually, preceded by a Q&A with the cast. Please note: this fundraiser requires a separate, but fully tax-deductible, ticket in addition to the Spring Conference registration.
Conference registration and more information can be found on our website and social media channels. First-time attendees can save 50% with the code “welcome21” and reduced student registrations are available. For more information click HERE for the full agenda and registration information.
