The Mount is pleased to partner with the National Willa Cather Center to launch a new series for the 2024 season! Join us on the third Wednesday of the month for a sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most singular and treasured American writers of the 20th century.

In June and July, experience Cather's short stories brought to life in the Terrace Café by local actors, Ariel Bock and Mae Hedges Boyce. In August, Peter Cipkowski, Vice President of the Willa Cather Foundation Board of Governors, will present an overview of Cather's life and times. Cipkowski's lecture will explore Cather’s turbulent biography and uniquely American voice, which set a new standard in American literature.

Willa on Wednesday events:

• June 19: a reading by Ariel Bock, Terrace Café
• July 17: a reading by Mae Hedges Boyce, Terrace Café
• August 21: a presentation by Peter Cipkowski, Stable Auditorium

Peter Cipkowski is a literary historian with interdisciplinary research interests in early 20th century American literature, civic engagement, and global education. He also serves as Vice President of the National Willa Cather Center Board of Governors. Peter received his doctorate from the University of Southern California and teaches at UCLA. Peter divides his time between Hillsdale and Los Angeles.

The National Willa Cather Center is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization that advances Willa Cather's legacy through scholarship, education, preservation, and the arts. Located in Willa Cather's hometown of Red Cloud, Nebraska, the Center is an award-winning archive and museum that operates as a vibrant memorial to Cather. It houses the earliest Cather collections and preserves 10 historic sites that make up the nation's largest holding of nationally designated structures dedicated to an American author. The crown jewel is the Willa Cather Childhood Home, a National Historic Landmark. Guided town, country, and prairie tours provide visitors with an immersive place-based experience. The Center's tri-annual Willa Cather Review features the latest in Cather-related scholarship and news. Willa Cather's legacy lives on thanks to the support of members whose contributions fund educational resources for classrooms, the preservation of historic sites associated with Cather's life and work, the conservation of the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie, care for priceless collections, conferences and seminars that spur new research and scholarship, and a residency program for emerging writers. Learn more and become a member at willacather.org.

Interested in becoming a Mount Member? Join today!

Image: Courtesy of the National Willa Cather Center

The Mount is a Massachusetts Cultural Council UP designated organization welcoming participants of all disabilities. Please contact The Mount at 413-551-5100 or by email, info@edithwharton.org, to discuss accommodations needed to participate fully in this event. The Mount's Health and Safety Guidelines can be found here.