2024 Announced CLSC Selections

Reading together since 1878, the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle has remained a leader in adult education through quality programming.  Each summer, the CLSC chooses at least nine books of literary quality and invites the authors to Chautauqua present their work to an audience of approximately 1,000 readers.

The 2024 CLSC Theme is Legacy.  As we reflect on our past during Chautauqua Institution’s Sesquicentennial celebration, we consider the “legacy” we carry forward into the next 150 years. Our time at Chautauqua—and our encounters with literature, in particular—encourage us to evaluate what we have learned here and what we will take with us as contributions to the world. In our contemplations we might ask: what makes a legacy? How do we foster a long-lasting impact? How do we interrogate detrimental legacies and rebuild? How can we enhance the cherished traditions we have inherited to imagine and create a more equitable world? How do we share and promote our legacy of empathy, collaboration, tolerance, generosity, life-long learning, listening and forgiveness? This year, the CLSC will contemplate the legacies we hold dear as well as those that have done harm, give us hope, and inspire us to keep growing together.   

Become a CLSC Member

(A note to 2023 CLSC members registered through our site: use the discount code CLSCBOOK for 20% off CLSC Selections.  You must be logged in to your registered account for the discount to activate.)