Virtual Author Series

Renowned author and historian Richard Norton Smith will speak about Willa Cather, My Mortal Enemy, and Cather's enduring place in American literature. Registration is required to receive an event link. Richard Norton Smith is an author, historian, biographer, and former director of five presidential libraries, including the Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and the Gerald R. Ford; the founding executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; and founding director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas. The Willa Cather Author Series is a free program that features mostly virtual but occasional in-person authors who explore humanities topics related to Willa Cather, Great Plains history, and art across a variety of styles and genres. The author series was conceived as a way to connect Cather to contemporary writers, as well as provide an accessible and inclusive space where readers can talk directly with writers about their work. Participating authors discuss how they create their work, thematic connections within and outside of their texts, and how their writing depicts shared experiences. Each author series event is designed to include a prepared discussion with the moderator and author(s), as well as ample time for audience Q&A.