National Willa Cather Center

05/23/2026

This week we welcome Red Cloud High School Alumni home for their annual reunion.

Join us for a sneak-peek of our new exhibit All-Aboard: West-Bound Trains in American Culture at the Burlington Depot, and enjoy a free book with your purchase in our bookstore.

Shop online: https://shop.willacather.org

05/23/2026

This week we welcome Red Cloud High School Alumni home for their annual reunion.

Join us for a sneak-peek of our new exhibit All-Aboard: West-Bound Trains in American Culture at the Burlington Depot, and enjoy a free book with your purchase in our bookstore.

Shop online at the link in our bio. 🔗

05/22/2026

With support from those touched by Cather, we can continue to spread her legacy and enduring works.

This past month, Rev. Jimmy Shelbourne and his spouse, Carol, generously donated a statuette of the Willa Cather memorial statue that stands in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol to Hastings College. The gift not only honors one of Nebraska’s most celebrated literary figures but also serves as a lasting source of inspiration for students. As they encounter Cather’s legacy on campus, students will be reminded of the power of storytelling.

This piece captures Willa Cather in her prime, walking stick in hand, pen and papers at the ready, surrounded by the landscape that inspired her vivid writing.

05/20/2026

Discover the story behind this unique adaptation of "My Ántonia," by Theater Latté Da. Coming to the stage, June 3 to July 12, 2026.

05/19/2026

This week’s is extra special!

As we get ready to open our new depot exhibit, we’re giving you a sneak peek at some of the fascinating archival materials that will be on display.

The exhibit officially opens June 4, and we can’t wait to welcome you in and share it with you!

05/15/2026

This , we want to thank all our donors and everyone who supports us in providing unforgettable memories made discovering Cather.

We provide the arts, tours, and more for audiences of all types to engage with Cather and her history in a personal way. With your support, we have the opportunity to increase understanding and appreciation of the life, times, settings, and work of such an important author.

05/14/2026

The Guardian culture released its list of the 100 best novels of all time, and we’re so proud to see My Ántonia included among them!

A countdown of the greatest literature ever published in English, as voted for by authors, critics and academics worldwide. How many have you read?

05/13/2026

Big things are coming to our bookstore space!

The Center is hard at work transforming the bookstore into a contemporary, welcoming space designed for connection, discovery, and inspiration. We’re excited to share this new chapter with our community and can’t wait for visitors to experience the refreshed look during Spring Conference.

Stop by for a tour, explore the new space, and stay tuned for more updates as the project comes to life!

05/12/2026

Anna Sadilek Pavelka served as a longtime friend and enduring inspiration for Willa Cather. This week, we feature a photograph of Anna (right) alongside several generations of her family, reflecting the deep roots and close-knit traditions that shaped both her life and Cather’s literary imagination.

Originally from Bohemia, Anna immigrated to the United States and worked as a domestic servant for the Miner family, with whom Cather spent much of her childhood. Through their friendship, Anna’s stories, resilience, and cultural heritage left a lasting impression on the young writer. They later helped inspire some of Cather’s most memorable portrayals of immigrant life on the Great Plains.

05/08/2026

This , we thank all who helped relocate the Yost Schoolhouse (formerly North Star School, District 81), now added to our portfolio of historic structures. Your support is preserving an important piece of rural history for generations to come.

For the Yost Family, the schoolhouse gift represented an opportunity to honor their late mother and her career as an educator. Daughter Suzi Yost Schulz believes their parents would be thrilled at the commitment of resources to ensure a cause that meant so much to them. She recalled that John and Ardis found joy in others experiencing the many facets of rural school life.

While not directly related to Cather, the building is representative of her description of country schoolhouses in her work.

Read more here: https://www.willacather.org/news/schoolhouse-enters-portfolio-historic-structures