John Robins (writer)
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John Daniel Robins | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 8, 1884 Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | December 15, 1952 (aged 68) Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Humorist, professor |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago, University of Freiburg, University of Marburg, University of Toronto |
| Period | 20th century |
| Genre | Humour |
| Spouse |
Leila Isabella Douglas
(m. 1917) |
John Daniel Robins (September 8, 1884 - December 15, 1952) was a Canadian academic and humorist.[1]
A longtime professor of German and English literature at the University of Toronto's Victoria University, he is noted for his book The Incomplete Anglers, which was co-winner with E. K. Brown's On Canadian Poetry of the Governor General's Award for English-language non-fiction at the 1943 Governor General's Awards.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Robins was born in Windsor, Ontario, and educated at the University of Toronto and the University of Chicago.[3] In 1914, he attended the University of Freiburg and the University of Marburg, both in Germany.
Career
[edit]Robins returned to Toronto where he taught German at Victoria College.
In 1916, he resigned to enlist in the Canadian Army. He spent the next two years teaching musketry at Camp Borden in Ontario. He left the army in 1918 with the rank of company sergeant major.
Robins returned to teaching at Victoria College, eventually becoming a full professor in 1941. He obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago in 1927.
In addition to The Incomplete Anglers, his other publications include the anthologies A Pocketful of Canada (1946)[3] and A Book of Canadian Humor (1951),[4] the novel Cottage Cheese (1951)[3] and the posthumous short fiction collection Logging with Paul Bunyan (1957).[5]
Robins served as a judge for the inaugural Stephen Leacock Award.[6]
Personal life
[edit]In 1917, Robins married Leila Isabella Douglas.
References
[edit]- ^ Frye. Northrop (2003). "John D. Robins". Northrop Frye on Canada, Volume 12. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802037107. pp. 236–237.
- ^ "Governor-General's Annual Literary Awards Present More Than Usually Interesting Winners". The Globe and Mail. April 15, 1944.
- ^ a b c "John D. Robins Fonds". E. J. Pratt Library: Victoria University.
- ^ "Canadian Humor Anthology Evokes Dolorous Thoughts". The Globe and Mail. December 8, 1951.
- ^ "Logger Paul Bunyan in Canadian Setting". The Globe and Mail. May 18, 1957.
- ^ "Governor-General's Literary Awards; Winning Authors Announced for 1946". The Globe and Mail. April 19, 1947.
External links
[edit]| Archives at | ||||||
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| How to use archival material |
- Works by John Daniel Robins at Faded Page (Canada)
| International | |
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| National | |
- 1884 births
- 1952 deaths
- 20th-century Canadian educators
- 20th-century Canadian male writers
- 20th-century Canadian military personnel
- 20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers
- 20th-century Canadian novelists
- 20th-century Canadian short story writers
- Academic staff of the University of Toronto
- Canadian anthologists
- Canadian Army personnel
- Canadian expatriates in Germany
- Canadian expatriates in the United States
- Canadian folklorists
- Canadian humorists
- Canadian male non-fiction writers
- Canadian male novelists
- Canadian male short story writers
- Governor General's Award–winning non-fiction writers
- Language teachers
- Literature educators
- University of Chicago alumni
- University of Freiburg alumni
- University of Marburg alumni
- University of Toronto alumni
- Novelists from Toronto
- Writers from Windsor, Ontario