This book gives a fresh, general overview of the life and work of Willa Cather, exploring why and how she is one of America's most treasured and most expansive writers. An introductory essay by the volume's editor encompasses the breadth of Cather's fiction as well as her lesser-known contributions as a poet and a critic. Original essays discuss Cather's cultural position and her use of radical new literary techniques. Other essays analyze the role of the protagonist in Cather's O Pioneers!, as well as a comparison of One of Ours to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in light of the themes of the waste land and the Holy Grail.