Celebrating Willa Cather 150 – Ames Writers Collective

Produced in association with the National Willa Cather Center, the Ames Writers Collective and the Ames Public Library will host a sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most significant and treasured American writers of the 20th century. Cather crystallized the spirit of the American West with a singular voice in her body of poems, essays, short stories, and the critically acclaimed novels One of Ours, O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, and My Ántonia.

Featuring Rachel Olsen, Director of Education & Engagement at the National Willa Cather Center, Olsen will discuss the importance of Cather’s work in today’s world. Additionally, Olsen and Ana McCracken, founder of the Ames Writers Collective, will read excerpts from Cather’s books and short stories to reacquaint Cather enthusiasts and introduce new readers to Cather’s body of work.

Birthday goodies will be served as well as a book drawing. Willa Cather’s 150th birthday was celebrated on December 7th, 2023.