Myra Brooks, leading Wichita book reviewer

Like her daughter Louise, Myra Brooks was a reader of books. And what's more, she was also a reviewer of books. On and off from the mid-to-late 1930s through the early 1940s, Myra appeared before various groups in Wichita speaking about new and recent releases. She also spoke about the news of the day, classical music - especially Richard Wagner, and other topics of interest. Myra's talks were given in local halls and auditoriums, hotel meeting rooms, restaurants, and in private homes.

The clipping shown here, from March 1941, notes Myra would talk about Art of Living, by the noted French writer Andre Maurois. The book is an inspirational title, not unlike some of the other books Myra read and reviewed. Evidently, Louise's Mother decided to review this book after Maurois, a famous novelist at the time and someone still read today, spoke in Wichita a month earlier in February.

The article goes on to state that Myra is a popular book reviewer known throughout Kansas. This was at a time when daily newspapers like the Wichita Eagle did not, generally speaking, review books. (One notable exception back then was the New York Times.) If one wanted to learn about new books, one might have to subscribe to a magazine that ran reviews, or, attend a local book club or study group. Myra, in fact, was a member of a few different groups, including the Study Guild which discussed the news of the day, as well as the Saturday Afternoon Musical Club which discussed opera and classical music.

Based on newspaper clippings which I recently came across, here are some of the titles and topics Myra Brooks spoke about. (A few clippings noted Myra would speak, but did not specify which book or topic. Lacking specifics, I didn't list those happenings.) Myra Brooks got a fair amount of press in Wichita, which must have been gratifying, as her contract as a speaker with the Redpath Chautauqua had not renewed back in 1927. She was also popular, and held her own against the competition, as th clipping below shows. What is also notable is the quality of books Myra Brooks spoke about. Like Andre Maurois, many of these authors are still known and  read today.

January 1934  reviews The Meaning of Culture by John Cowper Powys for the R.E.D. Club (at the Y.M.C.A) 

April 1934  reviews Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain for the Tuesday morning book review club

November 1934  reviews Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky for the Social Order of Beauceant

December 1934  reviews Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky for the Twentieth Century Club

December 1934  reviews Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky for the R.E.D. Club (at the Y.M.C.A)

December 1934  reviews Stars Fell on Alabama by Carl Carmer for the Current Book club

January 1935  reviews The Life of Nijinsky by Lucy Moore for the Leal Book club

January 1935  reviews The Biography of Richard Wagner for the Sedgwick County Medical auxiliary; Brooks also played some of her records of Wagner's music

February 1935  reviews Heaven is My Destination by Thorton Wilder for The Current Book Club 

April 1935  reviews The Life of Nijinsky by Lucy Moore for the Monday Book Review club

April 1935  speaks on the operas of Richard Wagner at a concert honoring the composer at the University of Wichita; news reports state the auditorium was filled

May 1935  reviews Phantom Crown by Bertita Harding at a tea party held for the Girl Reserves

May 1935  reviews The Biography of Richard Wagner for a local chapter of the Daughter of the American Revolution; Otto Fischer plays Wagner on the piano

May 1935  speaks on the operas of Richard Wagner at a concert at the University of Wichita

October 1935  reviews Mary, Queen of Scots by Stephan Zweig for the Social Order of Beauceant; preceding the review, Myra Brooks spoke for 20 minutes on current events 

December 1935  reviews A Personal History by an unknown author for the Social Order of Beauceant

January 1936  reviews an unknown title for the pledges of Alpha Tau Sigma

February 1936  reviews A Women's Best Years by W. Beran Wolfe for the Social Order of Beauceant 

March 1936  reviews The Dupont Dynasty by John K. Winkler for the Social Order of Beauceant 

April 1936   reviews The End of Summer (a play) by S.N. Behrman for the Social Order of Beauceant; preceding the review, Myra Brooks spoke for 20 minutes on current events  

April 1936  reviews an unknown book for the members of the Osteopathic Women's club

April 1936   participates (as a numerologist) in a numerology coffee put on by the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha

April 1936  talks on a "Biography of Cosima Wagner" at The Current Book Club

May 1936  reviews Sparkenbroke by Charles Morgan for the Social Order of Beauceant 

November 1936  reviews Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel); at least five to six dozen attend the event

November 1936  reviews I am the Fox by Winifred Van Etten for the College Hill P.T.A. (at the College Hill School auditorium)

December 1936  reviews Inside Europe by John Gunther for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel); at least five to six dozen attend the event

January 1937  performs selections from The Ring of the Niebelung with Otto Fischer on the piano at a meeting of the Kansas Bar Association

February 1937  reviews The Street of Fishing Cats by Jolán Földes for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel)

February 1937  gives a lecture recital about Cosima Wagner, assisted by Otto Fischer on the piano at the Twentieth Century Club (the Wichita Eagle reported that Myra Brooks wore a "stunning floor length gown of black satin"

March 1937  reviews Phantom Crown by Bertita Harding for the Iota Mu chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (at the Lassen Hotel)

March 1937  reviews The Street of Fishing Cats by Jolán Földes at a meeting of the Oxford Art Club

October 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer perform in Coffeyville at the Coffeyville Matinee Music club 

October 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer perform a program of music by Richard Wagner at Friends of Contemporary Music in Wichita

November 1937  give a lecture recital with Otto Fischer of music by Richard Wagner at a meeting of Job's Daughters (at the York Rite Temple)

November 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer perform a two-piano transcription of Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Niebelung at The Current Book Club

December 1937  Myra Brooks and Otto Fischer give recital of Richard Wagner's The Ring of the Niebelung at the University of Wichita

December 1937  gives a presentation of a number of current biographies at the Wichita Art Association

March 1938  reviews The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang at an art class at Wichita Art Museum

April 1938  reviews The Importance of Living by Lin Yutang at The Current Book Club

March 1939  reviews Prohibiting Poverty by Prestonia Martin at The Current Book Club

November 1939  reviews My America by Louis Adamic at The Current Book Club

January 1940  speaks on "music in the European capitals since the outbreak of World War II" at the Saturday Afternoon Musical Club

March 1940  reviews an unknown book at the Wichita Art Museum

April 1940  gives a lecture recital about Cosima Wagner, assisted by Otto Fischer on the piano, at the Study Guild

May 1940  lectures on Pagliacci, an Italian opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo, at the Music Study Group 

July 1941  lectures on the Ring Operas, specifically Die Walkure, at which she played recordings including Wotan's Farewell sung by Lawrence Tibbett, at a Study Guild meeting (at Droll's English Grill)

September 1941 lectures on "What Every Woman Wants to Know" at a Study Guild meeting (at Droll's English Grill)

November 1941  reviews The Voyage by Charles Morgan

January 1942  reviews From Many Lands by Louis Adamic at The Current Book Club 

 ++++++

Louise Brooks returned home to Wichita in August of 1940. Around that same time, Myra Brooks' book reviewing began to taper off. Myra, who shared her interests and passions with her daughter as well as the he people of Wichita, passed away at the age of 60 in 1944.

More on Myra Brooks and the Redpath Chautauqua tour of 1927

Since my September 13, 2021 post "Myra Brooks and the Redpath Chautauqua tour of 1927", a handful of additional details have come to light. . . .  I want to share some of this "new" information.

One thing I learned was that Myra Brooks was paid $75.00 per week as a touring member of the Redpath Chautauqua. On December 16, 1926 Myra signed a contract to tour for 12 weeks in 1927 beginning around the middle of April, and running through the middle of July. There was also an option in the contract to extend the contract by six weeks, should all go well.

Beyond those I already found by searching through a couple of newspaper databases (see the updated  9-13 post), I also found that Myra Brooks participated in a number of additional stops on the 1927 summer tour. (I have yet to find any corresponding documentation, i.e. newspaper articles - but still, this is a start!) Based on various correspondence, these additional dates could include: 

Cleveland, Tennessee            @ June 9  --  this is her first event

Florence, Alabama                @ June 12

Paris, Tennessee ???              @ June 22

Ypsilanti, Michigan               @ August 

it's likely there are other dates

On August 4, 1927 Myra wrote from The Huron hotel in Ypsilanti, Michigan asking for the correct dates for the reminder of her tour. She received these dates in return. (I knew about the two in bold.) 

Alma, Michigan                     August 8

Belding, Michigan                 August 9

Cadillac, Michigan                August 10

Traverse City, Michigan        August 11  ???
-- this date conflicts with a documented appearance in Waterloo, Indiana

Manistee, Michigan               August 12

Muskegon, Michigan            August 13

Benton Harbor, Michigan  August 17

Michigan City, Indiana         August 16

Racine, Wisconsin               August 17

Kewanee, Illinois                  August 18

Lincoln, Illinois                    August 20

In letters written while she was on tour, Myra said she was having the time of her life, and how she enjoyed speaking before a crowd. She also alluded to the concern's others on the tour had about the quality of her voice, and also, curiously, about the way she dressed. Myra Brooks was not asked back. In November, she received a letter from Redpath headquarters stating she "had not made the rating."

Meet Myra Brooks and her daughter Louise

I can't believe this gem of an article has escaped me until now. "Meeting the Mother of a Film Favorite," a profile of Myra Brooks, dates from February 1927. It paints a vivid portrait of a vivid personality. I hope you will read it and enjoy. 

BTW, as this article appeared in a Chicago newspaper, I would guess that the journalist, Bertha Fenberg, conducted her interview with Myra in Chicago, where Brooks' Mother was living and working for Golden Rule Magazine, which today we might term a "self-help"journal. It was also around this time that Myra was trying to land a position with the Redpath Chautauqua.

But first, two comments on the imagery. Notably, the M.I. Boris portrait of Louise Brooks is inscribed "Dear Mother from Louise"! I would guess Myra supplied this to the newspaper. I hope she got it back. Secondly, I am not sure that the portrait of "Louise at the age of 8" is the future actress. I don't believe I have ever seen this picture before, and it doesn't really look like her. But, I could be wrong.... I have been before.

 

Myra Brooks and the Redpath Chautauqua tour of 1927

Chautauqua was an American social movement which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Remnants of the original Chautauqua movement still exist today. In the Teens and Twenties, touring Chautauqua groups -- assemblies which included speakers, musicians, performers, preachers, and "specialists of the day" -- brought culture, educational programs, and entertainment to small towns and rural communities across the country. 

In the summer of 1927, Louise Brooks' mother, Myra Brooks, was a featured speaker who toured the American Midwest as part of the Redpath Chautauqua. I have managed to reconstruct Myra's tour through newspaper archives, and document most all of her engagements.

 

More often than not, Myra M. Brooks (as she was billed) gave an afternoon talk on the topic of "Girls of Today". For most of her engagements, Brooks was paired with the Ellenor Cook Company, a small group that performed "folk songs and dances from many lands" (namely Russia, Poland, and the Balkans). On a few occasions, Brooks gave a talk on the subject of "Abundant Living," and was paired with the Albert Vierra Hawaiians, musicians whose performance was titled "An Evening in Hawaii." Aside from a few clippings, not much exists online about either the Ellenor Cook Company or Vierra's Hawaiians. But the images shown here should give a taste of what they were like.

If Brooks received any sort of press ahead of her appearance, it was often mentioned that she was the mother of the actress Louise Brooks, thus adding to her credibility as an authority on the subject of "Girls of Today". However, I don't know that Myra M. Brooks necessarily authored the subject of her talk, as I have found a few earlier Chautauqua talks with the same title given by Florence Heintz (who was possibly a National Camp Fire Executive).

Typically, the Redpath Chautauqua was promoted as stopping in a town or community for five days, with any given act performing on one of those days. After their performance, an act or pair of acts would sometimes move ahead to the next stop while other acts stayed on and did their bit. Some of the other individuals and acts who appeared as part of this Redpath Chautauqua tour were the Chicago Male Quartet, a group of singers, Bohumir Kryl and his band, R.B. Ambrose, who gave a lecture on applied electricity, Australian Tom Skeyhill and his "thrilling lecture" on "Mussolini and the Blackshirts," and Ruth Bryan Owen (the daughter of William Jennings Bryan) who gave a travelogue lecture on the Holy Land. There was also Philip La Follette, the son of the famous Wisconsin Senator and himself the future two time Governor of the Badger state, and Edwin Whitney, head of the Whitney School of Expression in Boston, who delivered a monologue rendition of The Message from Mars. (The latter was based on a once popular stage play which was turned into a film in 1903, 1913, and 1921.)

I consulted two different newspaper databases, and found that some newspapers from 1927 are either no longer extant and not available online, and thus, this tour schedule is likely not complete. There are some evident gaps. For each stop, I listed on which day and what talk Myra M. Brooks gave (always in the afternoon), along with the act with which she was paired.

Murfreesboro, Tennessee -- June 18, 1927 (in a big tent on Tennessee College campus)
despite downpour of rain, there was a record crowd
Ellenor Cook and Miss Eugenia Folliard
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Nicholasville, Kentucky -- July 3, 1927
Vierra Hawaiians "An Evening in Hawaii"
Myra M. Brooks "Abundant Living"

Lexington, Kentucky -- July 4, 1927 (at Stoll Field at the University of Kentucky)
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today" 

Marshall, Michigan -- exact date not known, etither July 5, 6, 8, or 9
Vierra Hawaiians "An Evening in Hawaii"
Myra M. Brooks "Abundant Living"

Brookville, Indiana -- July 7, 1927
Vierra Hawaiians "An Evening in Hawaii"
Myra M. Brooks "Abundant Living"

Battle Creek, Michigan -- July 9, 1927
The local paper reported "The lecture by Myra M. Brooks in the afternoon on Girls of Today, while humorous and entertaining, was also instructive and provided much food for thought."
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Georgetown, Kentucky July 12, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Danville, Kentucky -- July 14, 1927
The local paper stated "Mrs. Brooks charming personality reflects very definitely the practice of the principles about which she will lecture."
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Bedford, Indiana -- July 19, 1927 (in a tent on the Voris Lot)
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today" 

Columbus, Indiana -- July 20, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today" 

Logansport, Indiana --  July 25
The local newspaper gave Brooks a long review.
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Huntington, Indiana -- July 26, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Elkhart, Indiana -- August 1, 1927
The local newspaper reported: "Mrs. Myra Brooks, who is associate editor of a leading psychology magazine, and is vitally interested in young people, spoke on 'Girls of Today.' She reminded the audience that she has a daughter herself and is familiar with the problems of youth. Mrs. Brooks' daughter is Louise Brooks, a movie actress. . . ." Notably, Rolled Stockings, had just recently played at the Lerner Theater.
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Battle Creek, Michigan -- August 3, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Port Huron, Michigan -- August 5, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today" 

Waterloo, Indiana -- August 11, 1927
The local paper stated "Myra M. Brooks, well known writer and teacher, will give her challenging lecture 'Abundant Living' which sets forth a new psychology of increased health, beauty and youth."
Vierra Hawaiians "An Evening in Hawaii"
Myra M. Brooks "Abundant Living"

Benton Harbor, Michigan -- August 15, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today"

Racine, Wisconsin -- August 17, 1927
Ellenor Cook Company
Myra M. Brooks "Girls of Today" 

The Records of the Redpath Chautauqua are held at the University of Iowa. Despite the documentation shown above, I could not find mention of Myra Brooks in those particular records. There are a small number of records for Ellenor Cook and for the Vierra Hawaiians, but none for Brooks. I have emailed the University to ask if they knew of other records which are not online which mention Brooks.

The advertisements shown below, which both mention Myra Brooks, appeared in the Port Huron newspaper. 

Another Louise Brooks-related mystery

In 1927, Louise Brooks' mother went on tour. Myra Brooks joined the Chautauqua circuit, an adult education / social movement that brought culture to small towns and communities across the United States with speakers, musicians and entertainers of all kinds. As such, Myra Brooks spoke in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee on the topic "The Girl of Today." (I will detail her tour in a later post.) 

Not surprisingly, local newspapers often referred to Myra as the Mother of the film star / "screen favorite" / young actress Louise Brooks. Once, in a slip of purple prose, Myra was even referred to as the Mother of "the charming queen of filmland." However Myra's daughter was referred to, certainly the highlight of Myra Brooks' Summer long tour was likely Benton Harbor, Michigan. The local newspaper, the News Palladium, even profiled the visiting speaker.

This article was the most significant coverage Myra Brooks received for her Chautauqua activities. It is also typical of what was written about her. It repeats many of the same talking points found in other articles published around the Midwest.

However, what stands out is the articles reference to Myra Brooks being the author of a "widely read" book, Health, Beauty, and Psychology. The article also mentions that Myra Brooks is an associate editor of The Golden Rule, a publication based in Chicago, and that she writes a regular column and weekly article. The mystery here is that no copy of Health, Beauty, and Psychology has ever been found. And what's more, I have never been able to find any of Myra Brooks articles, let alone issues of The Golden Rule. Other articles about Myra Brooks from the Summer of 1927 also mention the Golden Rule magazine, and the fact that she was a writer, but no others mention the book. In one instance, an article mentions that Myra Brooks is "a contributor to Golden Rule and Psychology of Health Magazines." Unless it is a mistake, this line suggests there were two magazines!

In his biography of Louise Brooks, Barry Paris also mentions that no copy of Health, Beauty, and Psychology is known to exist. My guess is that if it exists, it wasn't so much a book (of which there would likely be at least a record somewhere), but some sort of self-published booklet, like Louise's own The Fundamentals of Good Ballroom Dancing. Neither titles are listed on World-Cat, nor the Library of Congress online listings.

I think I was able to find out a little something about The Golden Rule, but could not lay my hands on any issues in order to read any of Myra Brooks reported contributions. If this is the same magazine, then The Golden Rule to which Myra contributed was first printed in 1919 by George Williams in Chicago. It was overseen by Napoleon Hill, the famous self-help author whose books include Think and Grow Rich (1937), one of the biggest selling books of the 20th century.

If anyone can access issues of The Golden Rule (from 1927, or 1926) and locate any of Myra Brooks' writings, that would be GREAT! And if anyone can located a copy of Health, Beauty, and Psychology, that would be even better. I am curious to know if they reference Louise Brooks. 

[Making matters more difficult, there was a populist poet of the time named Myra Brooks or Myra Brooks Welch who authored uplifting verse like "The Touch of the Master's Hand." Try searching for Myra Brooks and you will likely encounter the other Myra Brooks. Which explains why our Myra Brooks often had her name listed as Myra M. Brooks while on tour.]

A few weeks after Myra Brooks' August 1927 lecture in Benton Harbor, the 1927 Louise Brooks' film, Evening Clothes, opened at the local Liberty Picture theater. And in what was a first and only occurrence, the article about the film led with a reference to the actress' Mother!

A follow-up to Louise Brooks and the mystery of missing time

In my last post, I wrote about two little documented periods in the life of Louise Brooks. One of them was the couple three weeks Brooks spent in Paris, France in the Fall of 1924. She had gone there with Barbara Bennett, and not long after their arrival, Bennett decided to return to the United States. Suddenly on her own, and with little money, the 18 year old Brooks was at loose ends.

According to Brooks, she was sitting in the lobby of the Hotel Edouard VII (39 Av. de l'Opéra) in Paris when Archie Selwyn encountered her. The well connected American producer persuaded her to go with him to London, where he got her a job dancing at the Cafe de Paris in London. According to the International Herald Tribune, Selwyn was reported to be in Paris as of October 14; he was in Paris with his wife and staying at the Hotel Claridge (37 Rue François), working to secure a contract with the Spanish singing star Raquel Meller, who is performing in Paris to great acclaim at the Palace.

So, now we know how Brooks got to London (where she lived at 49A Pall Mall) and how she got a job at the Cafe de Paris (3-4 Coventry St.), at which she began dancing on October 20. On October 21, 1924, Variety reports that Brooks was "cordially received upon opening last night at the Cafe de Paris cabaret," and that Layton & Johnstone have returned to the establishment for an extended engagement.

From January 1925, the first depiction of Louise Brooks in a European publication. As this early portrait doesn't show up in American publications, I am going to assume it was taken in London.

News sometimes travels slow, especially in small-town Kansas. On November 6th, the Burden Times from Burden, Kansas reported that the Cherryvale Republican reports that the Wichita press reports that Brooks was in Paris, France. The Burden paper notes, "Her departure from France was sudden and her parents have not received a letter from her since her arrival in Paris." Unfortunately, the Cherryvale Republican is not available for 1924, and I am not sure it is even extant. Thus, I cannot trace the lineage of the reportage mentioned in the article pictured here.