美国名人 女作家 薇拉·凯瑟.docx

美国名人女作家薇拉凯瑟WriterWillaCatherCelebratedEuropeansWhoSettledintheAmericanMidwestplaystopmutemaxvolume00:06-15:28repeatByRichardThorman2005-10-8(MUSIC)VOICEONE:mShirleyGriffith.VOICETWO:AndmTonyRiggswithPeopleinAmerica.TodaywetellaboutwriterWillaCather.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThesecondhalfofthenineteethcenturybroughtmajorchangestotheUnitedStates.Fromitsearliestdays,Americahadbeenanagriculturalsociety.ButaftertheendoftheCivilWarineighteenSiXty-five,thecountrybecameincreasinglyindustrial.Andasthepopulationgrew,Americabecamelessunified.AfterrailroadslinkedtheAtlanticcoastwiththePacificcoast,thehugeMiddleWestofthecountrywasopentosettlement.ThepeoplewhocamewerealmostallfromEurope.TherewereSwedesandNorwegians,PolesandRussians,BohemiansandGermans.Manyofthemfailedintheirnewhome.Somefledbacktotheiroldhomeland.Butthosewhosufferedthroughthefreezingwintersandtheburningsummersandthefailedcropsbecamethenewpioneers.TheywerethemenandwomencelebratedbytheAmericanwriterWillaCather.VOICETWO:Cather'sbeststoriesareaboutthesepioneers.Shetoldwhattheysoughtandwhattheygained.Shewroteoftheirdifficultrelationswiththosewhofollowed.Andshedevelopedawayofwriting,bothbeautifulandsimple,thatmadeherapioneertoo.Formanywomeninthenineteenthcentury,writingnovelswasjustoneofthethingstheydid.ForWillaCathecwritingwasherlife.VOICEONE:WillaCatherwasborninthesouthernstateofVirginiaineighteenseventy-three.Attheageofeight,herfamilymovedtothenewstateofNebraskaintheMiddleWest.SheandNebraskagrewuptogether.WillalivedinthesmalltownofRedCloud.Asachildsheshowedwritingability.And,shewashelpedbygoodteachers,whowereuncommoninthenewfrontierstates.Fewwomenofhertimewenttoauniversity.WillaCatheohowever,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,Cathersaidzthepeoplewhowoulddreamgreatrailroadsacrossthecontinent.Yetshesawsomethingmoreinthem.Itwassomethingpermanentwithinaworldofcontinuouschange.Asenseoforderinwhatappearedtobedisorder.InCather'smind,herwritingsabouttheMiddleWest,herprairieyears,becameawaytoshowapprovalofthevictoryoftraditionalvaluesagainstcountlessdiffic