Czechast with Dr. Evelyn Funda: Weeds

Dr. Evelyn funda discusses "Weeds: A Farm Daughter's Lament", her award winning book, and much more about her family and life of Czech immigrants in the American West.

As you may have already found out in the previous episode of Czechast, Dr. Evelyn Funda, is a distinguished scholar, author, and emeritus Professor from Utah State University. She has spent a lifetime exploring the rich tapestry of American western literature, specializing in the works of Willa Cather, namely her famous novel about Bohemian immigrants My Ántonia, bridging cultures, and delving deep into the heart of what it means to belong to two worlds.

Born and raised near the small farming community of Emmett, Idaho, to a Czech-immigrant family, Dr. Funda has woven her heritage into her academic and literary pursuits. Her Czech family lived on a farm:

"We were almost 2 miles outside of Emmet, Idaho. And Emmet itself was a very small town in a very rural state."

In his episode, we are talking mainly about 'Weeds: A Farm Daughter’s Lament,' Evelyn’s book, a cultural memoir that explores her family's roots and the challenges of maintaining one's identity amidst the shifting landscapes of America. And Evelyn will explain among other things, how important it is to preserve the family heritage in the form of documents:

"I was having nightmares and one of them was that I was going outside and someone was burning a huge pile of documents. I was trying to stop him, crying:'That's my history! That's who I am, I've got to have them!' And I am reaching into the fire to pull the documents out."

This episode is filled with stories of heritage, literature, and the unbreakable bonds that tie us to our past.