Charles Gordon (journalist)
| Charles Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born |
1940 New York City |
| Occupation | novelist, humorist, journalist |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Period | 1970s-2000s |
| Notable works | The Governor General's Bunny Hop, The Canada Trip |
Charles Gordon (born 1940) is a Canadian writer and retired journalist, best known as a longtime columnist for the Ottawa Citizen.[1]
Background
Born in New York City while his father J. King Gordon was working in publishing there,[2] Gordon grew up in several cities around the world during his father's diplomatic career with the United Nations.[2] He is also the brother of writer Alison Gordon and the grandson of novelist Ralph Connor.[2]
He studied political science at Queen's University.[2]
Career
While completing his master's degree in political science, Gordon was hired as an editor with the Brandon Sun in 1964,[2] remaining with the paper until joining the Citizen in 1974.[2] With the Citizen, he held a variety of roles — including writing editorials, editing the local news and books sections, and writing his daily column[2] — until retiring from the paper in 2005.[1] He took a leave of absence from the paper in 2002 to serve for several months as writer-in-residence at the University of Ottawa.[3]
Gordon's columns were noted for their wry and sometimes satirical humor.[2]
He published several books, both fiction and non-fiction. His first book, The Governor General's Bunny Hop, was adapted by CBC Television into the short-lived sitcom Not My Department.[4]
He also wrote the afterword for the New Canadian Library edition of Paul Hiebert's influential humor novel Sarah Binks.
Awards and honours
He was a three-time nominee for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, garnering nods in 1986 for The Governor General's Bunny Hop,[5] in 1994 for How Not to Be Too Bad[6] and in 2002 for The Grim Pig.[7]
He was granted an honorary doctorate from the University of Brandon in 1994.[8]
Works
- The Governor General's Bunny Hop (1985, ISBN 077159688X)
- At the Cottage: An Affectionate Look at Canada's Summer Obsession (1989, ISBN 0771033931)
- How to Be Not Too Bad: A Canadian Guide to Superior Behaviour (1993, ISBN 0771033923)
- The Canada Trip (1997, ISBN 0771033893)
- The Grim Pig (2001, ISBN 0771033974)
- Still at the Cottage: Or the Cabin, the Shack, the Lake, the Beach, or Camp (2006, ISBN 978-0771034145)
References
- 1 2 "Charles Gordon: Incisive, funny, retired". Ottawa Citizen, June 11, 2005.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Cottage industry". Winnipeg Free Press, August 3, 2006.
- ↑ "Charles Gordon named U of O writer in residence". Ottawa Citizen, April 16, 2002.
- ↑ "Shelley Peterson says new sitcom won't embarrass hubby David". The Gazette, September 26, 1987.
- ↑ "Star's Slinger up for humor prize". Toronto Star, April 11, 1986.
- ↑ "Richardson wins Leacock prize". Ottawa Citizen, April 26, 1994.
- ↑ "Charles Gordon nominated for Leacock". Ottawa Citizen, March 20, 2002.
- ↑ "Not bad! Citizen book editor given honorary doctorate". Ottawa Citizen, May 29, 1994.