Barbara J. chose Cormac McCarthy for her debut presentation, bringing the author to life through a combination of research, readings, videos, and summaries. McCarthy (1933-2023) is a celebrated American novelist known for his Western and Post-Apocalyptic genres, distinguished by sparse punctuation, realistic dialogue, and graphic depictions of violence. He was raised primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee in a middle-class, Irish Catholic family. It is suggested that his empathy for poor families and children, evident in his writing, stemmed from his association with the families in his Knoxville community.  McCarthy wrote almost exclusively on an Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter, which he purchased in 1963 for $50 and sold at auction in 2009 for $254,500. 

McCarthy wrote twelve novels, several plays and screenplays, essays, and short stories. Barbara did a superb job of introducing many of his works, including The Orchard Keeper (1965), The Counsellor (2013), and McCarthy’s masterpiece Blood Meridian (1985), which was inspired by Samuel Chamberlain’s memoir, My Confession: Recollections of a Rogue (1850). 

All the Pretty Little Horses (1992) is a coming-of-age story set in 1949, following a journey from Texas to Mexico. While a bestselling and award-winning novel, the inspiration behind the novel is equally intriguing. Sixteen-year-old Augusta Britt was a “Finnish American cowgirl,” who McCarthy fell in love with at the age of forty-two. Britt became the “secret muse” for many of McCarthy’s central characters: both male and female.

No Country for Old Men was originally written as a screenplay, then published as a novel in 2005, and adapted for film in 2007, for which it won four Academy Awards. The title is drawn from the first line of W.B. Yeats’s poem “Sailing to Byzantium.” Barbara read a compelling review of the novel by Annie Proulx, published in The Guardian. Proulx describes the novel as “[transforming] a standard western good-guy-bad-guy plot into serious literature.” 

The Road (2006) received numerous awards including the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. This post-apocalyptic, deeply moving story follows a father and son’s journey of survival and was inspired by a trip McCarthy took with his young son, John, to Tucson, Arizona. The novel was adapted for film in 2009.

For further exploration on McCarthy and his works, Barbara provided two videos: an interview with McCarthy by Oprah Winfrey (2008); and a posthumous interview with Walter Kirn (2023). As is common with most of our meetings, an impassioned Q&A period followed Barbara’s talk. 

Barbara’s presentation wraps up our 2025-2026 session on Nominees for the Nobel Prize in Literature Who Never Won. This year, our presenters, many who gave their debut presentations, showcased writers who may not have received the Nobel Prize in Literature but have produced remarkable and varied works. Awards and prizes are not the only indicators of literary achievement, and this session offered a welcome reminder that great literature extends beyond a subjective shortlist. 

Our exciting new theme for the 2026 – 2027 session has been selected, and the schedule of presenters and authors is already full! Please watch for the program theme and schedule, which will be posted shortly on our website. 

Written by Mooréa G.

At our weekly meetings, a desk bell–the silver-coloured type seen on service counters of many commercial businesses–is used to call a meeting to order. Our bell recently stopped working and shaking it wasn’t very effective.

Thankfully, member Nadene G. graciously donated a family memento in its stead. This weighty brass bell with a warm patina (pictured above) represents the Royal Electric and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Corps of the U.K. Army, which began in 1942 and continues today. The badge at the top of the bell has a forcené (rearing) horse and chain (symbols of power and control), a globe representing engineering’s global impact, plus a lightning bolt symbolic of electrical engineering.

The bell was accompanied by a copy of a photo of Marjorie Inkster, who served as a radar maintenance officer during World War II. The photo was shown at the Women of REME Exhibition (2019) and can be viewed on the website of the REME Museum in Lyneham, England.

It is a treat to replace a simple mass-market item with an item having its own story of women, solidarity, and life-changing challenges. And, as Nadene noted with a smile, “This bell is sturdy enough for the next 120 years of CWLC meetings.” Our sincere thanks, Nadene!

Written by Barbara R.

In addition to our regular member presentations, we are pleased to welcome the Calgary Distinguished Writers Program (CDWP) writer-in-residence from the University of Calgary as a guest speaker. Since 2013, we have enjoyed a special relationship with the program and always look forward to getting to know each writer and their work.

Tracy Dawson is a Canadian award-winning actress, comedian, screenwriter, and author. On April 7, Tracy joined our club to discuss her varied career and writing projects. While we often think of writers only producing books, Tracy’s work extends beyond the bookshelf. In addition to her book, Let Me Be Frank (HarperCollins, 2022), she has written for television, theatre, and comedy stages. Tracy also teaches screenwriting at the University of Toronto.

Tracy’s first book, Let Me Be Frank: A Book About Women Who Dressed Like Men to Do Shit They Weren’t Supposed to Do, is clear about its focus from the title. The book is organized into chapters, each dedicated to a fascinating, determined, risk-taking woman or group of women who helped pave the way for those who followed. Some of these women include Joan of Arc, Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters. Lesser-known women include Harriet Tubman (an abolitionist who escaped enslavement) and Rena “Rusty” Kanokogi (a women’s judo pioneer). Tracy writes in a conversational style, which is humorous, informative, and thoroughly “frank.”

Our club was very fortunate to be among the first to hear Tracy’s summary of her provocative new book currently in progress. Her book follows in the footsteps of Let Me Be Frank; however, as the club has sworn to secrecy, there will be no spoilers from us! 

Tracy’s residency at the university is soon coming to an end. She speaks fondly of her time as writer-in-residence, particularly her work with students and the community. She appreciated having a “room of one’s own” (a dedicated office at the university) and living in a city with two rivers.

On Wednesday, May 20, Tracy will host “OUTRO,” a finale celebration at the UofC featuring readings and conversations with three acclaimed Alberta authors. Several of our members will attend the event to celebrate Tracy’s 2025-2026 residency and to support her continued success. 

To learn more about our guest speaker, you can find Tracy on Instagram (@dawsontracy) and on her website, tracydawson.net.

Written by Mooréa G.

Between 1910 and 1927, Thomas Hardy was nominated twenty-five times by his peers for the Nobel Prize in Literature, yet he never won. CWLC member Nonie J. began her presentation by asking, “why?” She surmised that award criteria of idealism and lofty moral standards were not met. Instead, Hardy’s work delved into the harsh realities of middle- and lower-class lives in Victorian England. 

Two factors were pivotal to Hardy’s outlook. First, the resilient, decisive, education-supporting women in his lower-class family: his grandmother, sister, and especially his beloved mother. Second, the centrality of family, which his father, brothers, and Hardy safeguarded tenaciously. 

Initially Hardy was a poet, writing over 900 poems in his life. But it was Far from the Madding Crowd that provided financial success and opened doors to socially privileged groups across England. 

Nonie highlighted three well-known novels in the Western English canon: Far from the Madding Crowd (1874), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (1891), and his last completed book, Jude the Obscure (1895). In Madding Crowd, female characters endure disproportionate personal hardship from petty moral missteps, live with poverty, violence, harsh working conditions, and witness the halting emergence of women’s rights. In Tess, romance, financial insecurity, sexuality, and religion result in relationships evolving or shattering and love being uplifting or cruel. These relationships’ high drama reflects Hardy’s romanticism. Nonie suggested he might even qualify as an early Harlequin Romance novelist! Social mores, marriage and organized religion are challenged throughout Jude the Obscure. In fact, public reaction to Jude was so scathing Hardy stopped writing books and returned to writing poetry for the remainder of his life.

Hardy Women: Mothers, Sisters, Wives, Muses by Paula Byrne (2024) augmented Nonie’s analysis as to how Hardy the man informed his characters, settings, and storylines. Hardy liked and respected women, as evidenced by the female protagonists in his novels. “But did he love women?” Nonie asked. His mother, yes. His two wives, perhaps not.

During the lively Q & A period, one member recalled how much she treasured Hardy’s novels during her teenage years. Other members echoed the same sentiment: how his “everyday” female protagonists faced demanding social and familial norms, fewer opportunities than men, and stark contrasts between romance and love. And so, Nonie concluded, his novels remain very relevant today as well as him being a feminist and romanticist.

Written by Barbara R.

A great way to begin an inaugural presentation is by sharing a secret. Katherine I. admitted that when she chose Philip Roth, she mistakenly thought he was the author of Empire Falls (written by Richard Russo). After realizing her error, she was too deep into Roth to switch. What an unexpected literary journey it became!

Philip Roth (1933-2018) was born into a Jewish family in New Jersey. His Jewish background and New Jersey setting often found their way into his writing. During his lifetime, Roth was considered by many as the “greatest living American writer.” However, his work received polarizing reviews. It was widely criticized for its raw yet satirical views on middle-class Jewish-American life, explicit sexual content, and misogynistic portrayals of women.

Katherine and other club members question whether Roth’s reputation as a misogynist matters. Does it change the quality of his writing and his depiction of the era? At the time, other male writers explored similar themes and stereotypes, including John Updike, Norman Mailer, Vladimir Nabokov, and Canada’s own Mordecai Richler.  

From his thirty-one books, Katherine curated and discussed a fabulous selection of Roth’s works: Good-Bye, Columbus (1959), best-selling Portnoy’s Complaint (1969), The Prague Orgy (1985), Operation Shylock: A Confession (1993), I Married a Communist (1998), Indignation (2008), and Nemesis (2010). According to Katherine, Sabbath’s Theatre (1995) and American Pastoral (1997) are Roth’s best books.

Roth won many awards including the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1998), the Man Booker International Prize (2011), and the National Book Award for Fiction (1960 and 1995). Although Roth was a top contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature, his controversial themes, content, and portrayals may have contributed to the Swedish Academy not selecting him as a winner. 

After reading Roth’s works, Katherine describes his writing as character-driven, dialogue-rich, provocative, dense, and defiant of convention. Whether or not his raw, sexually explicit style is for every reader, it certainly gives us something to think about.

Written by Mooréa G.

Chinua Achebe, born in 1930 in eastern Nigeria, is often regarded as the father of modern African literature in English because of his deliberate and influential writing. He grew up within both Igbo tradition and the British colonial system. As a witness to the tension of these two worlds, Achebe was driven to “tell African stories from the inside, with clarity, dignity, and moral complexity.” Achebe wrote novels, short stories, essays, poetry, and children’s books. He received many literary awards and honorary degrees, and he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1975.

Eudy J., a CWLC member since 2023, shared engaging personal stories and insights from her research and long-time appreciation of Achebe’s work. She highlighted key examples from his most famous book, Things Fall Apart (1958) and also referenced his memoir, There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra (2012), which Eudy described as his most powerful book.

The Igbo people are an ethnic group primarily located in southeastern Nigeria. Drawing on Achebe’s writing, Eudy explored the traditional Igbo concepts of Duality, Chi, and Proverbs. As a fun exercise for her audience, Eudy shared several familiar Igbo proverbs and challenged members to interpret their meanings. Some of these proverbs included:

• He who walks slowly hardly ever gets injured.
• If the right hand washes the left hand, the left hand washes the right hand.
• What an old man sees sitting down, a child cannot see even if he climbs the tallest tree.
• If a snake fails to show its venom, little kids will use it to tie firewood.

Eudy’s presentation not only informed members about Achebe and his works but also provided insight into Nigeria (home to over 230 million people) and the Igbo culture, which includes more than 40 million people worldwide. Fantastic debut presentation, Eudy!

Written by Mooréa G.

Shawna M.’s presentation on Japanese writer Yukio Mishima on March 17^th was an insightful and nuanced synthesis of four decades of reading and discussing his works.

Three questions constituted her presentation’s scaffolding: why Mishima didn’t win the Nobel Prize in Literature, what are hallmarks of his writing, and is he relevant today (he died by seppuku in 1970, age 46).  

Mishima was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature during the 1960s (Wikipedia). He tackled very controversial topics, such as glorious (suicide) versus ignoble death (dying in hospital), sexual ambiguity/eroticism, cruelty/brutality versus perfection, imperialism versus boorish democracy. Moreover, Mishima was in the public eye: a model, actor, Kendo master, Samurai acolyte, the subject of lurid photos that he arranged. Was he too politically or socially controversial to win? Was he too young?  

Three books are especially noteworthy in his literary evolution. The success of Confessions of a Mask (1949) allowed Mishima to travel Europe and the Americas extensively. His outer and inner worlds expanded exponentially with new ideas, possibilities, and challenges. This may also have been the start of gay relationships, but Shawna cautioned there is much debate about his bisexuality (which, at times, overshadows discussions about his writings).  

In The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (1956), the protagonist, a monk, becomes psychologically unhinged by the Temple’s beauty contra friends’ mutual abusiveness. He eventually sets fire to the temple. Shawna noted the concept of “a beautiful, violent, futile gesture” was introduced here and it informed Mishima’s later years. The Sound of Waves(1959), by contrast, describes the idealized Japan Mishima believed is possible, wherein morality, hard work, and community are foundational.

Yes, Mishima is relevant today. The Sea of Fertility was written in the last years of his life and is a tetralogy. Through the characters’ lives, the personal philosophy of Mishima—a man of many contradictions—is helpfully explained. He skillfully interweaves Japanese and European literary techniques. Moods are created not by merely stating them, but through evocative metaphors. He tenaciously and unapologetically explores the proverbial “fine line” between good and evil. While his topics, plots, and characters may seem too daunting to engage, Shawna praised Mishima’s work as both profound and accessible. She concluded her engaging presentation by reading excerpts from three books to share the imagery, clarity, and beauty of his writing.

Written by Barbara R.

On February 9th, 1906, Annie Davidson held the first meeting of the Calgary Women’s Literary Club in the parlour of her home. At this meeting, founding members established by-laws, elected officers, and selected the club’s first literary program. One hundred and twenty years later, women across Calgary, who share a passion for the written word, continue to come together to discuss literature while honouring the legacy of the women who came before them.

To mark this 120th Anniversary, members gathered for a lively celebratory lunch at Park by Sidewalk Citizen on February 11th. The room was filled with laughter, holiday updates, and a shared appreciation for the club’s long and impressive history. We are especially grateful to Robin S., our Social Chair, and to the team at Park for organizing such a wonderful event. Robin also provided a delicious cake for our first meeting of the Spring 2026 session.

War, pandemics, moon landings, and the advent of the Internet are just some of the momentous events that have occurred since the founding of the CWLC. In 1906, when our foremothers were gathering to discuss literature, significant events were also unfolding around the world. Undoubtedly, these developments would have found their way into the conversations of these curious and engaged women.

• Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen identifies the magnetic North Pole and establishes that it moves over time.
• San Francisco experiences the devastating earthquake and fire in April, 1906.
• Wilfred Laurier is Prime Minister of Canada (1896-1911).
• Alexander Cameron Rutherford was the first Premier of Alberta (1905-1911).
• President Theodore Roosevelt sails to the Panama Canal in November, 1906. This was the first time a sitting U.S. president made an official trip outside the country. President Roosevelt was also the first American to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
• The first permanent Canadian movie theatre, the Ouimetoscope, opens in Montreal.
• The passenger steamer SS Valencia ran aground off Vancouver Island resulting in one of Canada’s worst maritime disasters.
• Some notable books published in or around 1906: Kim by Rudyard Kipling (1906), The Call of the Wild by Jack London (1906), The Jungle by Upton Sinclair (1906), The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (1905), A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (1908), Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery (1908). Many Canadian female poets were beginning to make their mark: Jean Blewett, Helena Coleman, Sophia Almon Hensley, Elizabeth Roberts MacDonald, and Elizabeth Nuttall Hopkins among others.
• The Alpine Club is founded in Winnipeg with a membership fee of $0.25.

The CWLC will be celebrating its 125th Anniversary in 2031! This will be an exciting event and milestone for our club members and for the broader Calgary literary and historical community.

For more information on the history of the CWLC, please visit the Our History page.

Written by Janet H. and Mooréa G.

On Tuesday, March 10^th, Thea K. impressed her audience with her first CWLC presentation. Her author of choice was the prolific American-born writer Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995), who was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature and received numerous awards and other nominations.

As readers, we are often challenged to keep the author’s biography separate from their work. We ask questions such as, “Is this book autobiographical, and does it matter?” and “Can we still appreciate the writing if we don’t agree with or have respect for what we know about the writer?” Thea’s presentation encouraged her audience to grapple with these questions in the face of a deeply flawed writer and her unsettling yet compelling works.

Highsmith was born into a broken family and, to escape her feelings of abandonment and her tumultuous relationship with her mother, she found solace in reading. At the age of nine, she developed a fascination with abnormal psychology and began writing detailed diaries. “In her later years,” states Thea, “Highsmith became increasingly isolated, struggling with alcoholism and depression, and displaying antisocial and bigoted attitudes.” Like many of her fictional characters, Highsmith experienced numerous failed relationships and love affairs.

Highsmith wrote twenty-two novels and nine short story collections. Her literary influences included Dostoevsky, Kafka, Edgar Allan Poe, and Joseph Conrad. Highsmith’s works are filled with “psychologically complex criminals, moral ambiguity, suspenseful atmospheres, and an unflinching examination of the darker impulses within seemingly ordinary people.” 

Thea provided detailed summaries on Strangers on a Train (1950), The Blunderer (1954), and The Tremor of Forgery (1969). These novels vividly illustrate Highsmith’s reoccurring themes of moral collapse, guilt, paranoia, anxiety, and complicity in evil.

A lengthy and enthusiastic Q&A period followed Thea’s presentation, as members continued to wrestle with the reader’s paradox of admiring the work while questioning the writer. 

Written by Mooréa G.

Our good friend and fellow club member, Wilda Dow, passed away on February 23 at the age of 95 after a short illness. Wilda started with the CWLC in 2015 and only in 2025 did she find it harder to leave her home for outside engagements. She enjoyed the camaraderie and friendships she made in the club and presented two authors: Amy Tan and Amor Towles. 

Wilda was an avid reader, as her girls will attest, and when presenting, she organized her thoughts and communicated what she loved most about each author’s writing. All three of her girls came to CWLC when Wilda was presenting and, although she was a good public speaker, she always felt it was good to be supported by family while she spoke into the microphone.

Wilda belonged to a second book club and had strong opinions as to plot, character build-up, themes, and other interesting anecdotes of each book reviewed. Any time a friend shared the news about a new book, Wilda’s most often reply was, “Oh yes, I just finished it!”

We will miss Wilda with her gentle smile and warm heart. One of her favourite sayings was:

 “Life’s hard! But what’s that got to do with anything? (Eleanor Roosevelt)

You can read more about Wilda in her obituary at: https://www.piersons.ca/obituaries/wilda-dow

Written by Cathy R.