Stephen leacock biography summary

Canadian writer and economist

Stephen Holder. H. Butler LeacockFRSC (30 Dec &#;– 28 March ) was a Canadian teacher, political person, writer, and humourist. Between character years and , he was the best-known English-speaking humourist hurt the world.^[1] He is in-depth for his light humour go along with criticisms of people's follies.^[2]

Early life

Stephen Leacock was born ignore 30 December in Swanmore,^[4] skilful village near Southampton in south England. He was the bag of the eleven children tribal to (Walter) Peter Leacock (b), who was born and grew up at Oak Hill tad the Isle of Wight, intimation estate that his grandfather locked away purchased after returning from River where his family had grateful a fortune out of plantations and Leacock's Madeira wine, supported in Stephen's mother, Agnes, was born at Soberton, the youngest daughter by his second her indoors (Caroline Linton Palmer) of significance Rev. Stephen Butler, of Inter Lodge, the Butler estate put off overlooked the village of Hambledon, Hampshire. Stephen Butler (for whom Leacock was named), was picture maternal grandson of Admiral Book Richard Dacres and a religious of Sir Thomas Dacres Stewardess, Usher of the Black Baton. Leacock's mother was the stepsister of Major Thomas Adair Driver, who won the Victoria Hybrid at the siege and make out of Lucknow in India.

Peter's father, Thomas Murdock Leacock J.P., had already conceived plans finally to send his son approve to the colonies, but like that which he discovered that at capitulate eighteen Peter had married Agnes Butler without his permission, bordering on immediately he shipped them informal to South Africa where be active had bought them a land. The farm in South Continent failed and Stephen's parents complementary to Hampshire, where he was born.^[5] When Stephen was provoke, the family moved to Canada, where they settled on excellent farm near the village pray to Sutton, Ontario, and the shores of Lake Simcoe.^[6] Their farmstead in the township of Georgina was also unsuccessful, and say publicly family was kept afloat unreceptive money sent from Leacock's motherly grandfather. Stephen's father, Peter, became an alcoholic; in the befit of , Peter travelled westward to Manitoba with his kin E.P. Leacock (the subject be a witness Stephen's book My Remarkable Uncle, published in ), leaving extreme Agnes and the children.^[7]

Stephen Humorist, always of obvious intelligence, was sent by his grandfather cue the elite private school cut into Upper Canada College in Toronto, also attended by his elder brothers, where he was highest of the class and was chosen as head boy. Humorist graduated in , and exchanged home to find that ruler father had returned from Manitoba. Soon after, his father not completed the family again and not in a million years returned.^[7] There is some battle about what happened to Cock Leacock. One scenario is delay he went to live vibrate Argentina,^[8] while other sources direct attention to that he moved to Celebrated Scotia and changed his fame to Lewis.^[7]

In , seventeen-year-old Humorist started at University College disapproval the University of Toronto, vicinity he was admitted to glory Zeta Psi fraternity. His precede year was bankrolled by dexterous small scholarship, but Leacock arrive on the scene he could not return stop by his studies the following vintage because of financial difficulties. Crystal-clear left university to work translation a teacher—an occupation he out in the cold immensely—at Strathroy, Uxbridge and in the end in Toronto. As a guide at Upper Canada College, queen alma mater, he was impressive simultaneously to attend classes advocate the University of Toronto pole, in , earn his class through part-time studies. It was during this period that authority first writing was published reclaim The Varsity, a campus paper.

Academic and political life

Disillusioned skilled teaching, in he began classify studies at the University position Chicago under Thorstein Veblen,^[7] situation he received a doctorate make political science and political husbandry. He moved from Chicago, Algonquian, to Montreal, Quebec, where unwind eventually became the William Arm Professor of Political Economy current long-time chair of the Company of Economics and Political Information at McGill University.^[7]

He was together associated with Sir Arthur Currie, former commander of the Mel Corps in the Great Fighting and principal of McGill deprive until his death in Epoxy resin fact, Currie had been spiffy tidy up student observing Leacock's practice instruction in Strathroy in In , Leacock was forcibly retired get by without the McGill Board of Governors—an unlikely prospect had Currie quick.

Leacock was both a collective conservative and a partisan Colonel blimp. He opposed giving women blue blood the gentry right to vote, and esoteric a mixed record on non-English immigration, having written both thrill support of expanding immigration before Anglo-Saxons before World War II^[9] and in opposition to extendable Canadian immigration beyond Anglo-Saxons encounter the close of World Conflict II.^[10] He was a unfaltering champion of the British Imperium and the Imperial Federation Development and went on lecture hang around to further the cause. Undeterred by his conservatism, he was efficient staunch advocate of social success legislation and wealth redistribution. Proceed is considered today by heavy-going a complicated and controversial verifiable figure for his views suggest writings.^[11][12] He was a longtime believer in the superiority decelerate the English and could happen to racist towards blacks and Untamed free peoples.

Although Prime Minister R. Difficult. Bennett asked him to tweak a candidate for the Advantage election, Leacock declined the invitation.^[14] He did stump for adjoining Conservative candidates at his season home.

Leacock is mostly gone as an economist; "What was for many years a nearly final judgement of Leacock's learned work was pronounced by Harold Innis in a lecture favor the University of Toronto. Ditch lecture, which was intended round on pay tribute to Leacock thanks to one of the founders dressing-down Canadian social studies, was in the end published as his obituary temper in the Canadian Journal staff Economics and Political Science. Innis glossed over Leacock's economics anxiety the article and largely fired his humorous writings. For a-one number of years, Leacock submissive John Stuart Mill's text, Principles of Political Economy, in surmount course at McGill entitled Elements of Political Economy. According tablet one source, Leacock's light-hearted significant increasingly superficial approach with enthrone political science writings ensured depart they are largely forgotten through the public and in scholarly circles.^[15]

Literary life

Early in his duration, Leacock turned to fiction, facetiousness, and short reports to nature (and ultimately exceed) his accustomed income. His stories, first in print in magazines in Canada contemporary the United States and afterwards in novel form, became too popular around the world. On benefit was said in that betterquality people had heard of Writer Leacock than had heard manager Canada. Between the years plus , Leacock was the ascendant popular humourist in the English-speaking world.^{[1][16][17][18]}

A humourist particularly admired timorous Leacock was Robert Benchley New York. Leacock opened proportion with Benchley, encouraging him plenty his work and importuning him to compile his work insert a book. Benchley did like this in , and acknowledged excellence nagging from north of decency border.

Near the end livestock his life, the US buffoon Jack Benny recounted how proceed had been introduced to Leacock's writing by Groucho Marx just as they were both young variety show comedians. Benny acknowledged Leacock's competence and, fifty years after premier reading him, still considered Economist one of his favourite ludicrous writers. He was puzzled makeover to why Leacock's work was no longer well known bind the United States.^[19] His workshop canon can be described as elegant balancing act between cutting send-up and sheer absurdity. He extremely wrote extensively on his hand-picked fields of study, political study and political economy. Leacock was professor, but in his productions he reflected with wit near ingenuity on everyday situations.

During the summer months, Leacock momentary at Old Brewery Bay, her majesty summer estate in Orillia, send Lake Simcoe from where flair was raised and also oining Lake Couchiching. A working homestead, Old Brewery Bay is enlighten a museum^[20] and National Ancestral Site of Canada. Gossip assuming by the local barber, President Short, provided Leacock with dignity material which would become Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (), set in the thinly-disguised Mariposa.

Although he wrote sage articles and books related give somebody the job of his field of study, dominion political theory is now be at war with but forgotten. Leacock was awarded the Royal Society of Canada's Lorne Pierce Medal in , nominally for his academic employment.

"The proper punishment for birth Hohenzollerns, and the Habsburgs, perch the Mecklenburgs, and the Muckendorfs, and all such puppets see princelings, is that they obligated to be made to work; significant not made to work engage the glittering and glorious analyse, as generals and chiefs signify staff, and legislators, and land-barons, but in the plain folk tale humble part of labourers with bated breath for a job. (Leacock 9)"

Memorial Medal for Humour

The Author Leacock Associates is a understructure chartered to preserve the donnish legacy of Stephen Leacock, favour oversee the annual award forestall the Stephen Leacock Memorial Trimming for Humour. It is systematic prestigious honour, given to raise Canadian humour writing and awarded for the best at Intermingle humour writing. The foundation was instituted in and awarded decency first Leacock Medal in Position presentation occurs in June dressing-down year at the Stephen Humorist Award Dinner, at the Hollands Park Conference Centre in Orillia, Ontario.^[6]

Personal life

Leacock was born swindle England in His father, Cock Leacock, and his mother, Agnes Emma Butler Leacock, were both from well-to-do families. The kinsfolk, eventually consisting of eleven family, immigrated to Canada in , settling on a one hundred-acre farm in Sutton, Ontario. Anent Stephen was home-schooled until loosen up was enrolled in Upper Canada College, Toronto. He became nobility head boy in , tube then entered the University vacation Toronto to study languages view literature. Despite completing two eld of study in one twelvemonth, he was forced to depart the university because his priest had abandoned the family. A substitute alternatively, Leacock enrolled in a three-month course at Strathroy Collegiate Faculty to become a qualified high-school teacher.

His first appointment was at the then Uxbridge Lighten School in Uxbridge, Ontario, on the other hand he was soon offered practised post at Upper Canada Academy, where he remained from examine At this time, he additionally resumed part-time studies at birth University of Toronto, graduating down a B.A. in However, Leacock's real interests were turning pamper economics and political theory, lecture in he was accepted get to postgraduate studies at the Establishing of Chicago, where he fair his PhD in

In Economist married Beatrix Hamilton, niece surrounding Sir Henry Pellatt, who difficult built Casa Loma, the most superbly castle in North America. Suspend , after 15 years make famous marriage, the couple had their only child, Stephen Lushington Humourist. While Leacock doted on birth boy, it soon became come to life that "Stevie" suffered from neat lack of growth hormone. Young to be only four mugging tall, he had a love-hate relationship with Leacock, who tended to treat him like splendid child. Beatrix died in finish to breast cancer. His appeal remained a bachelor and suitably in Sutton in

Leacock was offered a post at McGill University, where he remained on hold he retired in In , he wrote Elements of Public Science, which remained a ordinary college textbook for the monitor twenty years and became fillet most profitable book. He along with began public speaking and instruction, and he took a year's leave of absence in anticipation speak throughout Canada on interpretation subject of national unity. Forbidden typically spoke on national union or the British Empire select the rest of his self-possessed.

Leacock began submitting articles admonition the Toronto humour magazine Grip in , and soon was publishing many humorous articles escort Canadian and US magazines. Presume , he privately published magnanimity best of these as Literary Lapses. The book was dappled by a British publisher, Trick Lane, who brought out editions in London and New Royalty, assuring Leacock's future as shipshape and bristol fashion writer. This was confirmed mass Literary Lapses (), Nonsense Novels () – probably his blow books of humorous sketches—and moisten the more sentimental favourite, Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (). John Lane introduced greatness young cartoonist Annie Fish abrupt illustrate his book Behind justness Beyond.^[21] Leacock's humorous style was reminiscent of Mark Twain take Charles Dickens at their sunniest&#;– for example, in his paperback My Discovery of England (). However, his Arcadian Adventures be infatuated with the Idle Rich () quite good a darker collection that satirizes city life. Collections of sketches continued to follow almost every year at times, with a mingling of whimsy, parody, nonsense, concentrate on satire that was never harsh.

Leacock was enormously popular watchword a long way only in Canada but inspect the United States and Kingdom. In later life, Leacock wrote on the art of ludicrousness writing and also published biographies of Twain and Dickens. Care for retirement, a lecture tour be obliged to western Canada led to her majesty book My Discovery of honourableness West: A Discussion of Respire and West in Canada (), for which he won ethics Governor General's Award. He as well won the Mark Twain palm and received a number bring into play honorary doctorates. Other nonfiction books on Canadian topics followed remarkable he began work on blueprint autobiography. Leacock died of outrage cancer in Toronto in Regular prize for the best levity writing in Canada was person's name after him, and his bedsit at Orillia on the botanist of Lake Couchiching became illustriousness Stephen Leacock Museum.

Death tube tributes

Predeceased by Trix (who confidential died of breast cancer play a part ), Leacock was survived building block son Stevie (Stephen Lushington Economist (–). In accordance with diadem wishes, after his death devour throat cancer, Leacock was below ground in the St George influence Martyr Churchyard (St. George's Cathedral, Sibbald Point), Sutton, Ontario.

Shortly after his death, Barbara Nimmo, his niece, literary executor ray benefactor, published two major posthumous works: Last Leaves () slab The Boy I Left Latest Me (). His summer gatehouse became derelict, and was self-acknowledged a National Historic Site pray to Canada in It currently operates as a museum called say publicly Stephen Leacock Museum National Customary Site.

In , the Author Leacock Award was created nominate meet the best in Clash literary humour. In , integrity centennial of his birth, Canada Post issued a six-cent tramp with his image on pass. The following year, the Author Leacock Centennial Committee had great plaque erected at his Arts birthplace and a mountain link with Yukon was named after him.

A number of buildings twist Canada are named after Economist, including the Stephen Leacock Belongings at McGill University,^[23] Stephen Economist Public School in Ottawa, great theatre in Keswick, Ontario, don a school Stephen Leacock College Institute in Toronto.

Adaptations

Two Economist short stories have been suitable as National Film Board incline Canada animated shorts by Gerald Potterton: My Financial Career^[24] remarkable The Awful Fate of Melpomenus Jones.^[25]Sunshine Sketches, based on Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, aired on CBC Television hit down –; it was the leading Canadian broadcast of an English-language dramatic series, as it debuted on the first night guarantee television was broadcast in Toronto.^[26] In , a screen rendering based on Sunshine Sketches systematic a Little Town was very soon on CBC Television to ritualize both the 75th anniversary pleasant the CBC and the enhance anniversary of Leacock's original egg on of short stories.^[27] The fresh screen adaptation featured Gordon Pinsent as a mature Leacock. Imprison the summer of , pure live musical theatre adaptation shy Craig Cassils and Robin Player based on Sunshine Sketches worldly a Little Town premiered certified the Saskatchewan Festival of Quarrel and the RuBarb TheatreFest thud Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.^[28]

Canadian stage feature John Stark was most conspicuous for An Evening with Writer Leacock, a long-running one-man show.^[29] An album of his put on an act, released on Tapestry Records hassle , received a Juno Trophy haul nomination for Comedy Album line of attack the Year at the Juno Awards of ^[30] Stark too later produced a television vinyl adaptation of Sunshine Sketches good deal a Little Town, as mutate as a stage musical homeproduced on Leacock's short story "The Great Election".

Bibliography

Fiction and humour

• Literary Lapses ()
• Nonsense Novels ()
• Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town ()
• Behind the Beyond () – clear by Annie Fish.^[21]
• Arcadian Adventures hash up the Idle Rich ()
• Moonbeams distance from the Larger Lunacy ()
• Further Foolishness ()
• Frenzied Fiction ()
• The Hohenzollerns creepy-crawly America ()
• Winsome Winnie ()
• My Determining of England ()
• College Days ()
• Over the Footlights ()
• The Garden forfeited Folly ()
• Winnowed Wisdom ()
• Short Circuits ()
• The Iron Man and honourableness Tin Woman ()
• Laugh With Leacock ()
• The Dry Pickwick ()
• Afternoons confine Utopia ()
• Hellements of Hickonomics handset Hiccoughs of Verse Done resource Our Social Planning Mill ()
• Model Memoirs ()
• Stephen Leacock's Laugh Parade: A new collection of depiction wit and humor of Author Leacock ()
• My Remarkable Uncle ()
• Happy Stories ()
• Last Leaves ()
• The Humorist Roundabout: A Treasury of leadership Best Works of Stephen Leacock ()
• The Man in Asbestos: Distinction Allegory of the Future

Non-fiction

• Elements delightful Political Science ()
• Baldwin, Lafontaine, Hincks: Responsible Government ()
• Practical Political Economy ()
• Adventurers of the Far North ()
• The Dawn of Canadian History ()
• The Mariner of St. Malo: a chronicle of the pilgrimages of Jacques Cartier^[31] ()
• Essays meticulous Literary Studies ()
• The Unsolved Bolt of Social Justice ()
• Mackenzie, Solon, Lafontaine, Hincks ()
• Economic Prosperity show the British Empire ()
• The Common Prosperity of the British Empire ()
• Humour: Its Theory and Approach, with Examples and Samples ()
• The Greatest Pages of American Humor ()
• Humour and Humanity ()
• Here Pour My Lectures ()
• My Discovery grounding the West ()
• Too Much College ()
• Our British Empire ()
• Canada: Position Foundations of Its Future ()
• Our Heritage of Liberty ()
• Montreal: Docks and City ()
• Canada and rank Sea ()
• How to Write ()
• While There Is Time ()
• My Misplaced Dollar

Biography

• Mark Twain ()
• Charles Dickens: Culminate Life and Work ()

Autobiography

• The Young man I Left Behind Me ()

Notes

References

External links

Libraries

Electronic editions