Willa Cather: A Reference Guide by Marilyn Arnold (review)

182 Western American Literature Revolted by and revolting from the harshness of federal military Indian policy, galvanized by the tragedy of Wounded Knee, Bourke turned maverick and championed justice for the Indian. In his role as scholar and spokesman, he met a wide acquaintanceship, both political and scholarly, and achieved celebrity status in his twilight years. In the year of his death (1896), age fifty, he was honored with the presidency of the American Folk-Lore Society. Joseph C. Porter has rendered Bourke his full measure in this superb biography. The research is exhaustive, with heavy reliance on Bourke’s cor­ respondence, diary, and field notes, coupled with a close canvas of published commentaries and materials. On this broad base, the author has fashioned a highly readable narrative that is punctuated with solid analyses, perceptive insights, informed judgments, and telling biographical details. His scholarship is complemented by excellent illustrations and a handsome book design and presentation. DOYCE B. NUNIS, JR. University of Southern California Willa Cather: A Reference Guide. By Marilyn Arnold. (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1986. 415 pages, $35.00.) Listing over two thousand citations of criticism and biography through a ninety year period, Dr. Arnold reveals a critical view of Cather’s importance and dissenting opinions concerning her value. Dr. Arnold does a remarkable work in condensing reviews into meaty statements. Cather scholars will want to trace favorite books or stories from inception to present. For example, in 1901 the Lincoln Courier quoted the Kansas City Journal about “El Dorado, A Kansas Recessional,” saying that the story was totally wrong about the area, but for this misrepresentation, “Kansas chivalry would not permit Cather to be scalped.” Further examples include a 1905 review in the Pittsburgh Gazette, which regarded “Flavia and Her Artists” the best story in The Troll Garden. The same year Bookman attacked the book as a collection of “freak stories that are either lurid, hysterical or unwholesome.” Harper’s Weekly praised the stories: “They are ‘out of the beaten track,’ revealing truths about persons separated and estranged from their own kind.” The New York Times spoke of Cather’s “talent in embryo,” and agreed with the Pittsburgh Gazette’s analysis of “Flavia and Her Artists.” Dr. Arnold’s book brings the scholar down to 1984. Any researcher will find new and exciting help in this volume. MILDRED R. BENNETT Red Cloud, Nebraska ...