Connections

References Over Time

The graph below depicts the frequency, over time, of Cather's mentions to her own novels. While many of the fluctuations are expected, there are some interesting details. Not surprisingly, My Ántonia is the most frequently referenced novel in the letters, no doubt because of the novel's critical success, the large number of letters to Ferris Greenslet, literary editor at Houghton Mifflin, and sustained critical interest in the novel in the years following publication. One of Ours however, is the novel with the largest “spike” or number of mentions in a single year–perhaps reflecting Cather’s anxiety and anticipation about the novel’s mixed reception.