The 2009 Spring Conference will focus on religious, moral, and spiritual themes in some of Cather's prairie fiction. Special speakers will include Bishop Frank Griswold (former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and long-time Cather fan), Ann Moseley, and other noted Cather scholars. There will be a Gallery show and lecture as well as a feature on Lucy Gayheart and Chicago (leading up to the June 2009 International Seminar). We'll mark the occasion of the 100th Anniversary of Mildred Bennett's birth with a gala party, and there will be a special series of activities focused on the Depression Era Great Plains and Woody Guthrie as well. Several people familiar with its liturgies are planning a Taizé meditation for the conference, among them a newcomer to our conference, the Rev. Ruth Eller. We will also welcome participants from Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and Day of Discovery through Elderhostel.