Willa Cather, the Archival Chain, and the Making of a Literary Legacy

This event is part of the 71st Annual Willa Cather Spring Conference on June 4-6, on the theme of “Memory, Myth, and Meaning: Cather in Dialogue with America 250.” Click here for more information about the conference.
Rebecca Romney’s lecture on “Willa Cather, the Archival Chain, and the Making of a Literary Legacy” considers the effects of archival collections on the writing of literary history, with special emphasis on Cather’s posthumous legacy. Such collections are not formed accidentally. They exist through the efforts of individual people, archival agents who save material, become its long-term caretakers, and make it accessible for study. The decisions of archival agents, big and small, can cause ripple effects across the stories we tell.
This event is free, but registration is strongly encouraged to reserve your spot and receive event updates by email! Click here for more information and to register.
The talk will be broadcast live on YouTube and a recording will be available for two weeks after the event.
 
Rebecca Romney is a rare book dealer and author of three books, Jane Austen’s Bookshelf, Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History), and The Romance Novel in English: A Survey in Rare Books. As a generalist rare book dealer, Romney handles work in all fields, from first editions of Jane Austen to science fiction paperbacks to Shakespeare Folios. Since 2011, Romney has appeared on the HISTORY Channel’s television show Pawn Stars as the rare book specialist. Romney was also featured in The Booksellers, a documentary about the rare book trade in New York that premiered at the New York Film Festival. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Forbes, Variety, The Paris Review, and more. With a passion for discussing the enduring power of literature, the relevance of book collecting, and the preservation of history, Romney weaves together her experience and knowledge in captivating talks.