AuthorHouse Author is Leacock Finalist - Again

Self-Published Columnist Kirkland in Running for Canada’s Most Prestigious Humor Award
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., March 30, 2005 -- AuthorHouse author and syndicated columnist Gordon Kirkland has been named as one of the five finalists for this year’s Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor for his second book, Never Stand Behind A Loaded Horse (Thistledown Press). His first book, Justice Is Blind - And Her Dog Just Peed In My Cornflakes (Harbour Publishing) won the 2000 Stephen Leacock Award of Merit.

Gordon Kirkland At Large, his syndicated newspaper column, first appeared in 1994. It runs in newspapers in both Canada and the United States. Both books, as well as his latest release, When My Mind Wanders It Brings Back Souvenirs (AuthorHouse) are collections of stories he originally wrote about in the weekly column.

He started writing the column a few years after becoming partially paralyzed in an automobile accident. He now walks with the aid of crutches and his Labrador retriever assistance dog, Tara.

"I am absolutely thrilled with the news that Never Stand Behind A Loaded Horse has been named one of the five finalists for the Leacock" he said on hearing the news. "Winning the Award of Merit last time was a big boost to my career"

Kirkland will take a break from his 2005 appearance tour to attend the awards ceremony in Orillia, Ontario on April 20, 2005. The tour promoting When My Mind Wanders It Brings Back Souvenirs will make stops in over forty cities in Canada and the United States this year. He has just returned from the official American launch of the new book in conjunction with his appearances in Las Vegas. "With so much of my fan base being in the United States, it is really gratifying to receive this kind of recognition at home" he added.

Kirkland lives in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver, with his wife Diane. They have two grown sons, Mike and Brad. Much of his writing is centered on his take on his life as a husband, father, and fifty-something man’s perceptions of everyday events.

Lynn Johnston, the creator of the comic strip For Better Or For Worse says, "His writing is an affirmation that we’re all in the same boat - it just leaks in different places. Nothing is safe from his crack-the-wit columns, which is why I love to read his stuff ... I just wouldn’t want to be married to him"

About AuthorHouse

With over 27,000 books in print, AuthorHouse is the largest self-publishing house in the world, providing premier publishing and marketing services to authors. The company was founded in Bloomington, Indiana in 1997 to fulfill the dreams of authors who wanted to have their books published while retaining all rights and control of content. AuthorHouse provides high-touch customer service, an easy-to-use process and a broad range of services to help authors write, publish, distribute and promote their works. AuthorHouse titles are available for order at more than 25,000 retail stores worldwide, through major Internet booksellers and at the AuthorHouse online store, http://www.authorhouse.com.

For comments on the Leacock Award:

Ms. Judith Rapson, Chair, Award Committee
Stephen Leacock Association
4223, Line 12 North, R.R. #2
Coldwater, Ontario, L0K 1E0
Tel: 705-835-3218
E-mail: drapson@encode.com or moonwood@sympatico.ca

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