Books by Graham G. Harris

THE SAGE OF SAPAWE
Hardcover, illustrated, 8.25″ x 11″
+bonus material. 475 pages
buy exclusively at Museum of Atikokan

The Sage of Sapawe is a collection of known poetry and essays by Graham G. Harris (1878-1958), who lived simply in a cabin in Sapawe, a small northwestern Ontario community. Mr. Harris wrote with great proficiency and wit, taking full advantage of his literary education and his philosophical mind, but not from a vantage point beyond that of his readers.

During the 1920s, his essays in the Port Arthur News-Chronicle, “Woodland and Water” included such topics as local industry, the fur trade, the balance of nature, and his varied interactions with woodland animals. During the 1950s, he primarily wrote articles for a column titled “Sapawe Jottings” in the Atikokan Progress, where he expanded his subject matter and offered philosophical views of the happenings of the world, including such historic events as war, the death of the King and coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

His poetry is lively and evocative, extolling the beauty of nature and its inhabitants, the progression of local industry, and events of the time. He sometimes interjected a few lines of poetry into his essays –when the mood struck him. A number of his poems were included in the collection Rhymes of the Miner in 1937, in good company with those of renowned Canadian poets Robert Service, William Henry Drummond and others.

In addition to his observations of flora and fauna, Harris recorded weather phenomena and chronicled bird migrations. He gives a realistic view of living in the early homes of northwestern settlements with descriptions of ant invasions, army-worm infestations, bear break-ins and his neighbours. This work speaks well and clearly of conditions, attitudes, and the natural grandeur of Northwestern Ontario.

Graham G. Harris died when his cabin burned in 1958 and his unpublished work perished with him. This collection is his only known surviving works and rightfully deserves its place in Canadian history. Copies of original columns and poems are available for reference in the archival collection of the Museum of Atikokan.

This large-format hardcover includes bonus material: full-page illustrations by artist Stacey O’Sullivan, Curator’s Notes, newspaper clippings, photos, letters, background, genealogical research, footnotes, and index.

REFLECTIONS FROM THE WOODLANDS
softcover, 6″x9″, 493 pages
buy on Amazon

Reflections from the Woodlands is a collection of essays by beloved author Graham G. Harris (1878-1958), who lived simply in a cabin in Sapawe, a small Northwestern Ontario community. It includes a history of the community and essays from his regular newspaper columns in the Port Arthur News-Chronicle, Fort William Daily Times-Journal, and Atikokan Progress.

His writing was admired by many, but during his lifetime, Harris shied away from recognition for his work and lived a meagre existence, seeking to share his appreciation for the natural environment with his readers. His gentle humour, unexpected phrasing, and romantic descriptions are unique to his work.

Graham G. Harris died when his cabin at Sapawe burned in 1958. His unpublished work perished with him. This is a collection of his surviving writing, which rightfully deserves its place in Canadian history.

“Reflections from the Woodlands” and “Poetry from the Woodlands” are extracts from the large-format hardcover book titled “The Sage of Sapawe, Writings from the Woodlands,” by Graham G. Harris.

POETRY FROM THE WOODLANDS
softcover, 6″x9″, 113 pages
buy on Amazon

Poetry from the Woodlands is a collection of poetry by Graham G. Harris (1878-1958), who lived simply in a cabin in Sapawe, a small northwestern Ontario community. Mr. Harris wrote with great proficiency and wit, taking full advantage of his literary education and his philosophical mind, but not from a vantage point beyond that of his readers.

His poetry is lively and evocative, extolling the beauty and natural grandeur of northwestern Ontario and its inhabitants, the progression of local industry, and events of the time.  A number were included in the collection “Rhymes of the Miner” in 1937, in good company with those of renowned Canadian poets Robert Service, William Henry Drummond and others.

Notable Poems:
Cranberry Moon, To a Chickadee in a Snowstorm, The Motive, To a Garden Devotee in March, Miner’s Luck, The Birth of the “Bill and the Bear,” Sway Song, Goblin Gold. 

Graham G. Harris died when his cabin at Sapawe burned in 1958. His unpublished work perished with him. This collection contains his only known surviving poems and rightfully deserves its place in Canadian history.

“Poetry from the Woodlands” and “Reflections from the Woodlands” are extracts from “The Sage of Sapawe, Writings from the Woodlands,” by Graham G. Harris.