Literary Arts
At the turn of the century, Muskoka was known as Canada’s Literary Summer Capital. The original Reading Circle was established in 1922. The intention of the Reading Circle was to introduce and advance the works of Canadian authors. Chautauqua weeks hosted famous authors of the day such as Bliss Carman, G.D. Roberts, E.J. Pratt and Dorothy Livesay reading from their works, accessible to their readers and discussing issues of the day. Chautauqua provided inspiration and intellectual challenge for its members.
The Reading Circle was organized into four-year cycles where suggested lists of books were given to participants, and lectures and readings would be given to enhance the assigned books. There were formal graduation ceremonies for those who read all the assigned books. Historically the Reading Circle was an extremely important part of the Muskoka Chautauqua, and it continues to be a very active and important aspect of today’s Chautauqua. With the revival of the Muskoka Chautauqua, the reading list developed in 2010 was the first one in 80 years.
Reading Lists
1923–24
Techumseh – A Drama and Canadian Poems, Charles Mair
A Short History of the Canadian People, George Bryce, M.A. D.D. LL.D.
Messages from Master Minds, J.W.G. Ward
Astronomy for Amateurs
The Canadian Magazine
1924–25
Builders of the Canadian Commonwealth, George H. Locke
Selections from Sam Slick by Thomas Chandler, ed. Paul A. Wallace
Poems, Isabella Vallancy Crawford, ed. J.W. Garvin
Short Plays by Representative Authors
Canadian Magazine
1926
In the Morning of Times, Charles G.D.Roberts
Lords of the North, Agnes Laut
Canadian Portraits, Adrian Macdonald
William Henry Drummond, John F. McDonald
One Act Plays, Second Series, J.W. Marriott
1927, 1928
The Golden Dog, William Kirby
Little Hearts, Majorie Pickthall
Poems, Archibald Lampman
The Sweet of the Year, Charles G. D.Roberts
Familiar Fields, Peter McArthur
2010
The Summer Before the Storm, Gabriele Wills
Canoe Lake, Roy MacGregor
The Wabeno Feast, Drew Hayden Taylor
Local Library Global Passport, Patrick Boyer
Unlocking the Doors: A woman’s struggle against Intolerance, Eva Olsen
Out of Muskoka, James Bartleman
2011
Theme: “Secrets and Guilt”
Hana’s Suitcase, Karen Levine
The Way The Crow Flies, Ann-Marie MacDonald
Northern Light, Roy MacGregor
The Bishop’s Man, Linden MacIntyre
Merchants of Doubt, Naomi Oreskes & Erik Conway
A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book, Frank Warren
2012
The Hidden World of Huckleberry Rock, Andrew Wagner-Chazalon and Bev McMullen
Room for All of Us, Adrienne Clarkson
John A: The Man Who Made Us, Richard Gwyn
Jeremy’s War 1812, John Ibbitson
Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music … From Hank Snow to the Band, Jason Schneider
Keeper’n Me, Richard Wagamese
2013
Up And Down, Terry Fallis
Navigating Canada’s Health Care: A User Guide, Francesca Grosso
Literary Lapses, Stephen Leacock
The Power of More, Marnie McBean
Healthy Starts Here, Mairlyn Smith
Phoenix: The Life of Norman Bethune, Roderick and Sharon Stewart
Little Ship of Fools, Charlie Wilkins
2014
You Are My Work of Art, Sue DiCicco
Stone Wisdom, Rolland G. Smith
The Soul of Place: Re-imagining Leadership through Nature, Art and Community, Michael Jones
Frontlines, Andrew Wagner-Chazalon
2015
Talking Through Pictures: My Life in Songwriting, Marc Jordan
The Thief’s Journal, Jean Genet
The Beauty of the Husband, a Fictional Essay in 29 Tangos, Anne Carson
The Ballad of Murray McLauchlan: Getting out of here Alive, Murray McLauchlan
The Orenda, Joseph Boyden
With Knowing Eyes: Canadian Women in Song, Beverlie Robertson
The Mayor of MacDougal Street: a Memoir, Dave Van Ronk with Elijah Wald
2016
All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr
Room, Emma Donoghue
Late Nights on Air, Elizabeth Hay
The Art of Fielding, Chad Harbach
The Art Fair, David Lipsky
The Lost Chord, Ian Thomas
The Year of The Flood, Margaret Atwood
2017
Theme: “Children & Youth”
ABC Muskoka, Nola McConnan
Dani, Shailie Dubois
The Adventures of the Dwarfgiants, Steven Jacklin
Origami Peace Cranes, Sue DiCiccio
Martha the Mouse, Karen Lang
2018, 2019
2018
On a First Name Basis, Norm Foster (starring William Colgate and Joan Bendon)
Billy Bishop Goes to War, John MacLachlan Gray and Eric Peterson (starring William Colgate and Cameron Gibson)
2019
The Ladies Foursome, Norm Foster (Maja Ardal, Robin Clipsham, Jane Miller, and Alyssa LaPlume)
For the Love of a Good Man, Jan Jacklin (starring Karen Thorn, Terry Savory, Rosie Delroy
2020
Chasing The Muse: Canada, Lloyd Walton
On the Back of the Wildebeest: The Healing Power of Creativity, Audrey Jolly
The Beleaguered, Lynne Golding
Come Looking for Me: A Novel, Cheryl Cooper
2021
One Eleven, Susan Nairn
The Mending, Lynne Golding
Broken Anchor, Paul Feist
The Real Mystery of Tom Thomson, Richard Weiser
Muskokans Embrace the Roaring Twenties, Patrick Boyer
Treasured Islands: with Generations of Muskoka Memories, a compilation of island inspired writings from the cottagers of Muskoka
2022
Outside the Gate, Carol Newall
The School of Mirrors, Eva Stachniak
Lighting the Stars, Gabriele Wills
Our Darkest Night, Jennifer Robson
Putting Muskoka on the Map, Patrick Boyer
Muskokans Fight the Great War/ Striking Back for the Empire, Patrick Boyer