SOURCE: Willa Cather and The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy," in American Literature, Vol. 54, No. 2, May, 1982, pp. 288-94.

In the following essay, Bohlke explores Willa Cather's connection to Eddy and Christian Science.

As with many other writers of fiction whose foundations were laid in journalism, the total number of words which came from the pen of Willa Cather will never be known. Besides the great number of unsigned articles which appeared in numerous newspapers and other publications, Cather also published several stories, articles and reviews under pseudonyms. John P. Hinz, Bernice Slote, Mildred R. Bennett, Virginia Faulkner, William M. Curtin and others have done prodigious work in the identification and publication of several such works. Even so, there remain in the archives of The Home Monthly, McClure's Magazine and other publications several likely candidates for Catherian ascription.

It is well known that Cather herself wished to suppress...