美国名人中学教员记者和杂志编辑薇拉·凯瑟.docx

美国名人中学教员记者和杂志编辑薇拉凯瑟WillaCather,1873-1947:SheCelebratedEuropeansWhoSettledintheAmericanMidwestplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:37repeatByRichardThorman2008-10-4VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmTonyRiggswithPeopleinAmerica.TodaywetellaboutwriterWillaCather.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThesecondhalfofthenineteenthcenturybroughtmajorchangestotheUnitedStates.Fromitsearliestdays,Americahadbeenanagriculturalsociety.ButaftertheendoftheCivilWarineighteenSiXty-five,thecountrybecameincreasinglyindustrial.Andasthepopulationgrew,Americabecamelessunified.A代errailroadslinkedtheAtlanticcoastwiththePacificcoast,thehugeMiddleWestofthecountrywasopentosettlement.ThepeoplewhocamewerealmostallfromEurope.TherewereSwedesandNorwegians,PolesandRussians,BohemiansandGermans.Manyofthemfailedintheirnewhome.Somefledbacktotheiroldhomeland.Butthosewhosufferedthroughthefreezingwintersandtheburningsummersandthefailedcropsbecamethenewpioneers.TheywerethemenandwomencelebratedbytheAmericanwriterWillaCather.VOICETWO:WillaCatherCather'sbeststoriesareaboutthesepioneers.Shetoldwhattheysoughtandwhattheygained.Shewroteoftheirdifficultrelationswiththosewhofollowed.Andshedevelopedawayofwriting,bothbeautifulandsimple,thatmadeherapioneer,too.Formanywomeninthenineteenthcentury,writingnovelswasjustoneofthethingstheydid.ForWillaCather,writingwasherlife.VOICEONE:WillaCatherwasborninthesouthernstateofVirginiaineighteenseventy-three.Attheageofeight,herfamilymovedtothenewstateofNebraskaintheMiddleWest.SheandNebraskagrewuptogether.WillalivedinthesmalltownofRedCloud.Asachildsheshowedwritingability.And,shewashelpedbygoodteachers,whowereuncommoninthenewfrontierstates.Fewwomenofhertimewenttoauniversity.WillaCathechowever;wenttotheUniversityofNebraska.Shewrotefortheuniversityliterarymagazine,amongherotheractivities.Shegraduatedfromtheuniversityineighteenninety-five.VOICETWO:MostAmericanwritersofhertimelookedtotheeasternUnitedStatesastheculturalcenterofthecountry.Itwasaplacewhereexcitingthingswerepossible.ItwasanescapefromtheflatnessofthelandandcultureoftheMiddleWest.Fromeighteenninety-sixtonineteen-oh-oneCatherworkedforthePittsburghDailyLeadernewspaper.ItwasinPennsylvania,notNewYork,butitwasfarthereastthanNebraska.Catherbegantopublishstoriesandpoemsinnineteenhundred.AndshebecameanEnglishteacherinnineteen-oh-one.Forfiveyears,shetaughtEnglishatPittsburghCentralHighSchoolandatnearbyAlleghenyHighSchool.Shepublishedherfirstbookinnineteen-oh-three.Itwasabookofpoetry.Twoyearslatershepublishedabookofstoriescalled"TheTrollGarden."VOICEONE:TheownerofaNewYorkmagazine,S.S.McLurezreadherstories.HeaskedhertocometoNewYorkCityandworkasaneditoratMcLure1SMagazine.Shewasfinallyintheculturalcapitalofthecountry.Shestayedwiththemagazinefromnineteen-oh-sixtonineteentwelve.OneofthepeoplewhoinfluencedhertoleavethemagazinewastheAmericanwomanwriter,SarahOrneJewett.JewettadvisedCathertowriteonlyfictionandtodealwiththeplacesandcharacterssheknewbest.Jewettsaiditwastheonlywaytowriteanythingthatwouldlast.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:InnineteentwelveWillaCatherpublishedherfirstnovel,"Alexander'sBridge."Bythattime,Catherhadenoughfaithinherselftoleavemagazineworkanduseallhertimetowritefiction.SherememberedJewett'sadviceandturnedtothelandandpeoplesheknewbest,thefarmersoftheMiddleWest.InRedCloudshehadlivedamongBohemians,French-CanadianszGermans,Scandinavians,andotherimmigrants.ShesawthatthemixtureofallthesenewAmericansproducedanewsociety."Therewasnothingbutland,"shewrote."Notacountryatall,butthematerialoutofwhichcountriesaremade."Itwasthismaterialsheusedtocreateherbooks.VOICEONE:1.ikeallgoodwriters,shewantedhernovelstoshowtheworldshedescribed,notjusttellaboutit.Laterinherlife,shedescribedthewayshewrote.Shecalledit"novelswithoutfurniture."Whatshemeantwasthatsheremovedfromhernovelseverythingthatwasnotnecessarytotellthestory.Fictioninthenineteenthcenturywasfilledwithsocialdetail.Ithadpagesofdescriptionandcommentsbytheauthor.Catherdidnotwritethisway.Shelookedtothepastforherideas,butshedrewfromthepresentforherart.Ayearafter"Alexander'sBridge,"Catherpublishedhersecondnovel.ItwasthefirstofherbookstotakeplaceintheMiddleWest.Itiscalled"OPioneers."Itestablishedherasoneofthebestwritersofhertime."OPioneers"tellsthestoryofthefirstsmallgroupsofBohemians,Czechs,French,Russians,andSwedeswhosetabouttoconquertheland.Cathersaidtheyactedasiftheywereanaturalforce,asstrongorstrongerthannature.Shesaidtheywerepeoplewhoownedthelandforalittlewhilebecausetheylovedit."Spring,summer;autumn,winter,spring,"Catherwrote."Alwaysthesamefield.trees.Jives."VOICETWO:Cather'sheroesarepioneers,settlersofunknownorunclaimedland.Theyalsoarepioneersofthehumanspirit.Theyare,Cathersaid,thepeoplewhowoulddreamgreatrailroadsacrossthecontinent.Yetshesawsomethingmoreinthem.Itwassomethingpermanentwithinaworldofcontinuouschange.Asenseoforderinwhatappearedtobedisorder.InCather'smind,herwritingsabouttheMiddleWest,herprairieyears,becameawaytoshowapprovalofthevictoryoftraditionalvaluesagainstcountlessdifficulties.Thefighttoremainhumanandinlovewithlifeinspiteofeverythinggivesthepeopleinherstoriespurposeandcalm.VOICEONE:WillaCathercontinuedtowriteaboutthesenewpioneersin"TheSongoftheLark"innineteenfifteen.Shefollowedthatwiththenovelthatmanyconsiderherbest,"MyAntonia."Bythenineteentwenties,however;herstoriesbegantochange.Shesawmoredefeats,fewervictories.Shebegantowrite-notaboutgreatdreams-butaboutthesmallnessofman'svision.Shemournedforthelossofvaluesotherswouldnevermiss.WillaCathernevermarried.ShebeganlivingwithanotherwomanfromNebraskainnineteen-oh-eight.TheylivedtogetheruntilCatherdied.Innineteentwenty-two,Cathersufferedanervousbreakdown.Anumberofthingscausedhercondition.Herhealthwasnotgood.Shewasunhappywithherpublisher.And,shewasangryaboutthechangesinsocietybroughtbynewtechnology.Innineteentwenty-three,CatherwrotethelastofherNebraskanovels,"ALostLady."Twoyearslatersheproducedanothernovel,"TheProfessor'sHouse."Itwasclearbythenthatshewasmovinginadifferentdirection.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Hernexttwonovels,"DeathComesfortheArchbishop/'and"ShadowsintheRock/'takeplaceinthedistantpast.Theyarestoriesaboutheroicfailure."DeathComesfortheArchbishop"takesplaceintheAmericanSouthwestinthesixteenthcentury.ItdescribestheexperiencesoftwopriestswhoaresenttowhatbecameNewMexico.Theactionisinthepast.ButtheplaceisonethatCatherfeltalwayswouldremainthesame-thedesertsoftheAmericanSouthwest.Whereherearlierbooksdescribedaperson'ssearchforsolidground,thesebooksdescribethesolidgrounditself.Theycamefromadeepunhappinesswithmodernlife.VOICEONE:AlthoughCatherturnedawayfrommodernlife,shewasverymuchamodernwriter.Herwritingbecameincreasinglyimportanttoanewgroupofwriters-ErnestHemingway,F.ScottFitzgerald,andJohnDosPassos.Neartheendofherlifeshewrote:"Nothingreallymattersbutliving.Getallyoucanoutofit.Iamanoldwoman,andIknow.Sometimespeopledisappointus.Andsometimeswedisappointourselves.Butthethingistogorightonliving."WillaCatherwentrightonlivinguntiltheageofseventy-four.Shediedinnineteenforty-seven.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:ThisSpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenbyRichardThorman.mTonyRiggs.VOICEONE:AndmShirleyGriffith.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.