Willa Cather Essays - Willa Cather, Edith Lewis, My Ntonia

Willa Cather There are few female authors that have had an impact on literature as great as that of Willa Cather. Not only was she an exquisite author, but she broke through into writing during a time when few female authors were successful. Her life, which was directly influential to her writing, was of a simple nature. However, she was able to over come a drab, mundane life, and turn her experiences into stories that would be enjoyed by many generations. Willa Siebert Cather was born in her maternal grandmother's home in 1873 in the western region of Virginia (Robinson). Cather's name was originally Willela (after her father's younger sister who died as a child), but the family always called her "Willie." They did this because as a child Willa altered her name in the family Bible and insisted that she was named after her uncle William Sibert Boak (Woodress). In the spring of 1883, when Willa was nine, the Cathers moved to a farm near Red Cloud, Nebraska. Cather described her thoughts of this land to an interviewer. She said, "As we drove further and further out into the country , I felt a good deal as we had come to the end of everything." (Cather quoted in Woodress). They came to Nebraska by train because the journey by wagon would have been long and tiring. Cather's first home in the state of Nebraska was with her Grandfather. (Robinson). "Its most characteristic feature which she described faithfully in My Antonia was a basement kitchen and dining room." (Robinson) However, a year later the Cather's left the farm to live in the town of Red Cloud, so the children could attend school. Red Cloud was a town of 2,500 people. The people of Red Cloud played an important part in the life and work of Willa Cather. There were many people in the town who inspired her and "she sought interesting adults wherever she could find them." (Woodress). Two of Red Cloud's doctors became friends with Willa, and sometimes let her come along on their calls. Cather also medically experimented on animals with a set of medical instruments, this upset and disgusted some of the citizens of Red Cloud. (Robinson). In high school Willa Cather had greatest ambition was to become a doctor, a profession in which few women excelled. Cather graduated from high-school in June of 1890, at the age of sixteen (Woodress). She was the only student of the three who graduated who intended to pursue college. She would enter the University of Nebraska at Lincoln the following September (Robinson). Cather was also inspired by the actors and actresses who came to perform at the town's Opera House. The children of Red Cloud would put on their own shows where Willa seemed to be an adequate actress, but she always played a boy (Robinson). This was a great surprise because at the time, many women did not perform. Rather younger boys would play the female roles in a play. She expressed a vast dislike for skirts and dresses (Woodress) and later when she attended the University of Nebraska she continued to dress in a boyish manner (Daiches). She wore suspenders, starched shirts and insisted while in college to continue trying out for the male roles in college theater (Woodress). Cather went to Lincoln with the intent of studying science. She was very interested in botany, astronomy and chemistry (Woodress). However, the event that changed her heart toward writing occurred in March of 1891. A professor of Cather's assigned an essay to be written, and the professor was so impressed with Cather's work that without telling her, he sent it to the Journal, the towns paper. He also sent it to a literary magazine for students called The Hesperian (Robinson). Cather opened the Sunday paper to find her essay in print and from that time on she forgot about medicine and concentrated on writing (Woodress). Throughout her college years Cather continued to write for the Journal and took any chance to earn money writing for the paper. Even if that meant putting aside her school work to do it. In the two years she wrote for the Journal she produced over 300 pieces, many of which were essays (Woodress). Cather became the Journal's drama critic and she quickly made a name for herself. "Her work showed a maturity and poise not expected in so young a critic, and her knowledge of drama and literature, continental and classic, as well as English was extensive" (Robinson). During her last

5 Secrets to Getting Never-Ending Job Offers! - Guest Post by David Mensah

5 Secrets to Getting Never-Ending Job Offers! - Guest Post by David Mensah Last week I wrote about the importance of follow-up and feedback for success in your business or job search. The article, Do These * 2 * Things and Get Amazing Results in Your Business OR Job Search, really was about how to have fruitful conversations and build valuable connections. This week, my good friend and long-time business writing client, David Mensah, shares his wisdom on a very related topic: how to create a stream of job and work offers through  the art of talking to people. Guest post by David Mensah Imagine this experience: You’re in the middle of a conversation with a friend, colleague or new acquaintance, when that person suddenly interrupts the flow of the conversation to offer you some form of employment! For most of my life, I have had that experience on a regular basis, and I have ultimately built a career as a leadership trainer and executive coach as a result. So when I started to expand my consulting practice to include career coaching, I wanted to see whether I could train people to do what I have done successfully in my own professional life: generate employment opportunities consistently, both in official interviews and everyday conversations, whether or not they are looking for a job. Here are my top 5 recommendations for creating â€Å"the never-ending job offer†: BE EXCITED: Choose a career that sparks your passion, and let that passion show! Your excitement is contagious. I can always tell when others are passionate about their careers. Genuine excitement is interesting and contagious, while feigned excitement is forced and boring. Discover your true calling, even if it doesnt make sense or scares you (are you an accountant who always wanted to be a dancer?) Your career is as personal as it gets and it’s worth finding out- and sharing- what lights you up. BE INTERESTED IN OTHERS: When people are authentically curious about me, I feel lucky and safe and I want to know more about that person in return. That’s the type of interest you want to create in others. When talking about your life, make sure to make time to explore the lives of those around you. You might ask questions about people’s background, work successes and challenges, or families. Explore their values and what’s important to them. Train yourself to find something interesting about everyone, including friends, networking contacts, and yes, even interviewers! In every conversation I make it my practice to find 10 things I like about the other person in the first 5 minutes. It makes me listen differently. Keep asking questions until you find an area where the other person is energized, and focus there. You might be surprised at the benefits that come back to you. IN AN INTERVIEW, ASK QUESTIONS: Come prepared to every job or informational interview with questions you want to ask. And don’t stop there. Frankly, if you are not interested enough in the middle of an interview to have a few spontaneous questions, you are probably not interested in the job or the company. Questions emerge from a natural desire to know more- to delve deeply into things that matter to you. When you ask people questions, they learn a lot about how you think and feel about them, their company, and, if applicable, the available position. Your questions reveal something about you at the same time as you learn about someone or something else. BE CONNECTED: People hire people they feel good about and this feeling arises from a sense of connection. To create affinity with people where it might not exist automatically, consider telling stories about yourself emphasizing your humanity. I have been known to talk about my most recent business failure or how my ego gets in the way of my dreams. Stories about our failures and flaws allow others to connect deeply with us and push people quickly past the surface differences that keep us separate. While connecting with others comes easily to some, it can be challenging to some people. Do your personal growth work so that you can easily connect to the new people in your life without internal stories about you or them getting in the way. SPEAK ABOUT YOURSELF USING THEIR LANGUAGE: As any conversation progresses, I learn more and more about the person I am speaking with. Once you know enough about someone, it is much easier to tell them about yourself, because now you can reference the parts of their life that help them understand yours. When I am talking with someone who values their family over everything, it is natural for me to use my love and appreciation for my puppy to describe how relationships motivate my professional successes and failures. When I talk to people who care primarily about making a difference for others, I describe my interest in coaching as a way to teach skills that they can pass on to everyone they touch. The more you truly listen to someone, the more you can use the language they use and speak to their values. You will make deep connections with people who feel seen and understood by you, and who will want to find ways to spend more time in your presence- perhaps by offering you a job. When my clients embrace these practices, not just in interviews but in every interaction with others, they start generating job opportunities. Getting excited about your own career and cultivating an authentic interest in others results in others’ sitting up and taking notice. Your never-ending job opportunity will happen one conversation at a time. David Mensah is a leadership trainer and executive coach living and working in New York City. Please connect with him on twitter @DKBWAVE or learn more about his work at www.DKBWAVE.com.