Arthur Black was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in early January of 2018 and died at Lady Minto Hospital on Saltspring Island on February 21, 2018 at age 74. Typically, he made jokes about his illness in a series of blog posts, suggesting getting a terminal diagnosis was akin to being swatted by a giant nerf bat, describing pancreatic cancer as "the Mike Tyson of cancers" and suggesting his final missives should be titled Dead Man Blogging.
Born in Toronto in 1943, Block first worked for CBC in 1971 at Thunder Bay. Arthur Black hosted CBC Radio's Basic Black program for 19 years. Coincidentally, he wrote 19 books. He won three Leacock Medals for Humour-- for Pitch Black (2006), for Black Tie and Tales (2000) and for Black in the Saddle Again (1997). Only two other recipients have won Canada's top humour prize three times during more than 60 years of competition.
Black was also nominated for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour in 2014 for Fifty Shades of Black (2013) in which he typically addressed such topics as complex coffee concoctions and the dangers of reading too many kinky romance novels. In his final book, Paint the Town Black, Black typically tackled such important subjects such as poor penmanship and the burning question of whether one-time Thunder Bay mayor Walter "Jolly Wally" Assef really did pat the queen's bum.
Arthur Black moved to Saltspring Island in 1995 and he retired from hosting Basic Black in 2002. He also hosted and narrated two television programs, Weird Homes and Weird Wheels.
DATE OF BIRTH: 30/08/43
PLACE OF BIRTH: Toronto
ARRIVAL IN CANADA: 1943
ARRIVAL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: 1995
ANCESTRAL BACKGROUND: Scots
EMPLOYMENT OTHER THAN WRITING: radio, TV host
BOOKS:
Paint the Town Black (Harbour, 2015) $22.95 978-1-55017-701-5
Fifty Shades of Black (Douglas & McIntyre, 2013) $29.95 978-1-77162-019-2
Looking Blackward (Harbour, 2012) $24.95 978-1-55017-590-5
A Chip off the Old Black (Harbour, 2010)
Black is the New Green (Harbour, 2009)
Planet Salt Spring (Harbour, 2009) - an audio CD
Black to the Grindstone (Harbour, 2007)
Black Gold: Nuggets from a Lifetime of Laughs (Harbour, 2006)
Pitch Black (Harbour, 2005)
Black & White and Read All Over (Harbour, 2004)
Flashblack! (Harbour, 2002)
Black Tie and Tales (Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1999)
Black in the Saddle Again. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1996.
Black by Popular Demand. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1994.
That Old Black Magic. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1991.
Arthur! Arthur! Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1989.
Back to Black. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1986.
Basic Black, Penumbra Press, 1981
Old Fort William: A History (1980)
Awards:
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, for Pitch Black, 2006.
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, for Black Tie and Tales, 2000.
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, for Black in the Saddle Again, 1996.
National Magazine Award for Humour, for The Beaver, 1986.
ACTRA "Nellie" Award for Best Opinion/Commentary, 1986.
Cadogan Award for Best Weekly Newspaper Column, 1977.
Ohio State Award for Best Children's series, 1976.
[BCBW 2018] "Humour"
Born in Toronto in 1943, Block first worked for CBC in 1971 at Thunder Bay. Arthur Black hosted CBC Radio's Basic Black program for 19 years. Coincidentally, he wrote 19 books. He won three Leacock Medals for Humour-- for Pitch Black (2006), for Black Tie and Tales (2000) and for Black in the Saddle Again (1997). Only two other recipients have won Canada's top humour prize three times during more than 60 years of competition.
Black was also nominated for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour in 2014 for Fifty Shades of Black (2013) in which he typically addressed such topics as complex coffee concoctions and the dangers of reading too many kinky romance novels. In his final book, Paint the Town Black, Black typically tackled such important subjects such as poor penmanship and the burning question of whether one-time Thunder Bay mayor Walter "Jolly Wally" Assef really did pat the queen's bum.
Arthur Black moved to Saltspring Island in 1995 and he retired from hosting Basic Black in 2002. He also hosted and narrated two television programs, Weird Homes and Weird Wheels.
DATE OF BIRTH: 30/08/43
PLACE OF BIRTH: Toronto
ARRIVAL IN CANADA: 1943
ARRIVAL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: 1995
ANCESTRAL BACKGROUND: Scots
EMPLOYMENT OTHER THAN WRITING: radio, TV host
BOOKS:
Paint the Town Black (Harbour, 2015) $22.95 978-1-55017-701-5
Fifty Shades of Black (Douglas & McIntyre, 2013) $29.95 978-1-77162-019-2
Looking Blackward (Harbour, 2012) $24.95 978-1-55017-590-5
A Chip off the Old Black (Harbour, 2010)
Black is the New Green (Harbour, 2009)
Planet Salt Spring (Harbour, 2009) - an audio CD
Black to the Grindstone (Harbour, 2007)
Black Gold: Nuggets from a Lifetime of Laughs (Harbour, 2006)
Pitch Black (Harbour, 2005)
Black & White and Read All Over (Harbour, 2004)
Flashblack! (Harbour, 2002)
Black Tie and Tales (Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1999)
Black in the Saddle Again. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1996.
Black by Popular Demand. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1994.
That Old Black Magic. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1991.
Arthur! Arthur! Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1989.
Back to Black. Toronto: Stoddart Publishing Co. Limited, 1986.
Basic Black, Penumbra Press, 1981
Old Fort William: A History (1980)
Awards:
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, for Pitch Black, 2006.
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, for Black Tie and Tales, 2000.
Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, for Black in the Saddle Again, 1996.
National Magazine Award for Humour, for The Beaver, 1986.
ACTRA "Nellie" Award for Best Opinion/Commentary, 1986.
Cadogan Award for Best Weekly Newspaper Column, 1977.
Ohio State Award for Best Children's series, 1976.
[BCBW 2018] "Humour"
Articles: 1 Article for this author
Fifty Shades of Black
Press Releases (2014)
Arthur Black's book Fifty Shades of Black (Douglas & McIntyre, $29.95) has been shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. This award recognizes the most humorous book published in Canada and written by a Canadian in the past year. The winner will receive a $15,000 prize courtesy of TD Bank Group in addition to the silver Leacock memorial medal. The prize will be announced on Thursday, April 24 in Orillia, Ontario.
Fifty Shades of Black is the latest book of hilarious insights and revelations from Arthur Black, one of Canada's best-known humorists. In his tried and true style, Black's amusing vignettes reflect the flavour of his life and perspective. In this collection he turns his critical eye and warped funny bone to an assortment of offbeat topics including the café-office culture of free wifi and complex coffee concoctions, and the danger of reading too many kinky romance novels. Throughout the book, his wit and phrasing are matched only by his clever anecdotes and understanding of human nature, proving that he is indeed master of his typewriter.
Arthur Black is one of only two living writers to have won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour three times. For nineteen years he delighted Canadians every Saturday with quirky stories on CBC Radio One's Basic Black program. He was also the host of Life Television Network's Weird Homes and Weird Wheels and is the author of a regular humour column syndicated to newspapers across the country. He is now resides on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
The other nominees of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour announced today are Jane Christmas for her book And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures in a Cloistered Life, Bill Conall for The Promised Land, Wayne Johnston for Son of a Certain Woman and Steve Smith, aka Red Green, for Red Green's Beginner's Guide to Women. The four runners-up will also receive substantial cash prizes for their efforts.
For more information about the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, refer to their website at www.leacock.ca.