About:

About this class:

This is a 10-week virtual class using the Zoom platform.

Thursdays: January 19, 26, February 2, 9 , 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23 - 2-4 pm CST

As a major American author, Willa Cather has long been connected to plains literature and identified by some as a “regionalist” writer, a designation against which she would no doubt have railed. She would have been right to do so. Her career as novelist, short story writer, and critic as well as her bibliography of published works speak for themselves, but in this course we will attempt to uncover even more about what Cather-the-writer and Cather-the-person often avoided addressing directly in her work. Through the exploration of several novels and a bit of biography, this course will examine the significant contribution that Cather made to the canon of American literature.

Instructor bio:

Rebecca Chalmers has spent her adult life on the study of literature. A Ph.D. in English (with concentrations in American literature, film studies, and critical theory) led her to a rich and rewarding academic career, the last thirteen years of which were spent with the English program at the University of Mary in Bismarck, and in regular work with the Humanities North Dakota. Currently, she resides on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where she works as an independent scholar, with occasional university classes, and in freelance editing and writing, all while she continues to pen her own poetry and short stories.

Humanities North Dakota classes and events are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

HND VALUE STATEMENT

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this {article, book, exhibition, film, program, database, report, Web resource}, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota. However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally. Therefore our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University. To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.