The Unsolved Riddle(s) of Stephen Leacock

Wed., Nov. 1, 2017 3:30 p.m.

Location: Dr. John Archer Library, room LY 107.12, University of Regina main campus

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944)

In late 1936 and early 1937 Stephen Leacock toured western Canada, stopping in Regina on December 7-8, 1936. He did not lecture at the University, however, as he did in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Vancouver. In late 2017 storytellers Leslie Robbins-Conway and Paul Conway will re-trace Leacock's route, stopping in Regina to repair his omission.

In 'The Unsolved Riddle(s) of Stephen Leacock' Conway and Robbins-Conway will lay out what they think Leacock presented in his life and work, which they dub a 'general theory of unsolved riddles fit for a political-social economist cum writer of history cum humorist'.

In the 50 years of his career, Leacock published 23 non-fiction books and some 1,450 pieces, of which about 650 were collected into 30 other books, all the while carrying a full load of teaching. He was not only the humorist who wrote Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, but also the professor who wrote Elements of Political Science, the advocate who wrote The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice, the storyteller who wrote Canada and the Sea and several other popular historical works, the teacher who wrote How To Write, and the professional author who wrote Humour: Its Theory and Technique - to name only a few. More than anything else, however, he was a university teacher and revelled in that vocation. This broad view of Stephen Leacock takes in the whole range of his ideas, both good and not so good, enduring and forgotten.

For Leacock was always, even when wrong-headed, a good storyteller, and a good story.

All are welcome to this free public lecture! Free parking on campus is available in Lot 1. Pay parking throughout campus is available at kiosk and meters.