No. 139 - Chautauqua

You'll have to bear with me as I explain how I learned what I learned today.

First, I came across this quote which I found to be thought-provoking: 

“When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion.”

The quote came from someone named Robert Pirsig.

Next, I checked out the wiki on this guy and learned that he wrote a book called Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The book is in the Guinness Book of Records for being rejected by 121 publishers, which was more than any other bestseller. It sold more than 4 million copies in 27 languages and has been described as "the most widely read philosophy book ever."

The book chronicles a 17-day motorcycle journey across the U.S. by the author and his son. It said the trip was punctuated by numerous philosophical discussions, referred to as Chautauquas. Now that's a word I've never heard.

So I did a little research and learned that a Chautauqua (pronounced "sha- TAW- kwa") was an adult education movement in the U.S., which was highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture to a community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, preachers and specialists of the day. Many of the Chautauquas were held in tents. After several days of providing educational programs to a community, they would pack their tents and move to the next town.

Former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua was "the most American thing in America."

It appears to have been a cross between TED.com and a traveling circus.

The popularity of Chautauqua dwindled as radio, movies and television brought entertainment and educational opportunities to more American towns.