Gordon Kirkland is a three-time winner of Canada's Stephen Leacock Award of Merit for Humour. His first book, Justice Is Blind - And Her Dog Just Peed In My Cornflakes (Harbour) took the award in 2000, and his second book, Never Stand Behind A Loaded Horse (Thistledown) won it in 2005. His third book, When My Mind Wanders It Brings Back Souvenirs (AuthorHouse) won the 2006 Award. His other books of humorous essays include I Think I'm Having One Of Those Decades (2006), I May Be Big But I Didn't Cause That Solar Eclipse (2007) and Holly Jolly Frivolity (2009).
His latest book, The Plight Before Christmas is the story of a family facing numerous comedic calamities and disasters as an early 1960's holiday season rapidly approaches. This is what can happen when Murphy's Law takes over the holidays and sends them careening off in several comical directions.
His first novel, Crossbow is a darkly comedic mystery. Think Fargo without the wood chipper.
He has toured extensively throughout Canada and the United States with his books, and for speaking engagements at writer's conferences, festivals and other events.
Kirkland wrote the syndicated humor column Gordon Kirkland At Large for newspapers in Canada and the USA from 1994 to 2007. He is also a frequent guest on radio and television in both countries.
He says he grew up in a family filled with laughter, with his late mother being the one who would most frequently "stir the pot." He often recalls that "she had a point system for us. We got 10 points if we could make a sibling pass a liquid through their sinuses at the dinner table."
Kirkland suffered a spinal cord injury in 1990, and "walks" with the aid of forearm crutches. He makes it part of his mission to prove that people with disabilities can still have a sense of humor.
