Robin Clarkson Hardy (July 12, 1952 – October 28, 1995) was a Canadian journalist and author.
["Robin Hardy Papers 1964-2001". ]New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress) ...
, Manuscripts and Archives Division.
Born in
Halifax,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland".
Most of the population are native En ...
and raised in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
,
Manitoba
, image_map = Manitoba in Canada 2.svg
, map_alt = Map showing Manitoba's location in the centre of Southern Canada
, Label_map = yes
, coordinates =
, capital = Win ...
and
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
,
Hardy studied creative writing at the
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta, also known as U of A or UAlberta, is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford,"A Gentleman of Strathcona – Alexander Cameron Ruth ...
and took a law degree at
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University (commonly known as Dal) is a large public research university in Nova Scotia, Canada, with three campuses in Halifax, a fourth in Bible Hill, and a second medical school campus in Saint John, New Brunswick. Dalhousie offer ...
before settling in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
, where he was a staff writer and editor of ''
The Body Politic'', a noted early Canadian
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
magazine.
He also produced radio documentaries for
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
, contributed to publications including ''
NOW
Now most commonly refers
to the present time.
Now, NOW, or The Now may also refer to:
Organizations
* Natal Organisation of Women, a South African women's organization
* National Organization for Women, an American feminist organization
* Now ...
'', ''
Canadian Forum
The ''Canadian Forum'' was a literary, cultural and political publication and Canada's longest running continually published political magazine (1920–2000).
History and profile
''Canadian Forum'' was founded on 14 May 1920 at the University of T ...
'' and ''
Fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to prote ...
'', and was an activist for and the first paid staff member of the Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Ontario.
He moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
in 1984, where he was an editor for Cloverdale Press and a founding member of
Publishing Triangle
The Publishing Triangle, founded in 1988 by Robin Hardy, is an American association of gay men and lesbians in the publishing industry. They sponsor an annual National Lesbian and Gay Book Month, and have sponsored the annual Triangle Awards pro ...
.
["Robin Hardy, Writer, 43"]
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', November 3, 1995. He also wrote numerous young adult, science fiction, mystery and horror novels, primarily under
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
s; ''Call of the Wendigo'' (1994) was the only novel he published under his own name.
He was also a freelance contributor to publications including ''
The Advocate'', ''
Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' and ''
Penthouse'' in this era.
He also wrote poetry throughout his life, although this was never published as a book,
and submitted a short story, "Ghosts", to the annual CBC Literary Competition.
He relocated to
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
,
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
in 1993.
On October 28, 1995, Hardy died in a
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A His ...
accident in Arizona's
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing , is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the ninth largest national forest in the United States. The forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427 m) in t ...
.
His unfinished non-fiction manuscript ''The Landscape of Death: Gay Men, AIDS and the Crisis of Desire'' was completed by
David Groff
David Groff is an American poet, writer, and independent editor.
Biography
Groff graduated from the University of Iowa, with an MFA, and MA. He has taught at University of Iowa, Rutgers University, and NYU, and at William Paterson University.
Fo ...
, and was published in 1999 under the title ''Crisis of Desire: AIDS and the Fate of Gay Brotherhood''. The book was a shortlisted nominee in the Gay Studies category at the
12th Lambda Literary Awards
The 12th Lambda Literary Awards were held in 2000 to honour works of LGBT literature published in 1999.
Nominees and winners
External links
12th Lambda Literary Awards
{{Lambda Literary Awards
Lambda Literary Awards
Lambda
Lists of LGBT-re ...
.
Many of his papers and manuscripts are held by the archives of the
New York Public Library
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress) ...
.
Along with
Scott Symons
Hugh Brennan Scott Symons (July 13, 1933 – February 23, 2009), known professionally as Scott Symons, was a Canadian writer.[Norman Elder
Norman Sam Elder (July 17, 1939 – October 15, 2003) was a Canadian explorer, exotic animal owner, writer, artist, Olympic equestrian and one of Toronto's eccentrics. He was the owner of the Norman Elder Museum at 140 Bedford Road i ...]
, he was the subject of a chapter in
Ian Young's 2013 book ''Encounters with Authors: Essays on Scott Symons, Robin Hardy, Norman Elder''.
"‘Encounters with Authors: Essays on Scott Symons, Robin Hardy, Norman Elder’ by Ian Young"
Lambda Literary Foundation
The Lambda Literary Foundation (also known as Lambda Literary) is an American LGBTQ literary organization whose mission is to nurture and advocate for LGBTQ writers, elevating the impact of their words to create community, preserve their legaci ...
, August 26, 2013.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Robin
1952 births
1995 deaths
Canadian male novelists
Canadian mystery writers
Canadian horror writers
Canadian science fiction writers
20th-century Canadian novelists
20th-century Canadian poets
20th-century Canadian male writers
Canadian male poets
Canadian writers of young adult literature
Writers from Halifax, Nova Scotia
Journalists from Manitoba
Journalists from Nova Scotia
Journalists from Toronto
Writers from Ottawa
Writers from Toronto
Writers from Winnipeg
Canadian LGBT journalists
Canadian LGBT rights activists
Canadian LGBT novelists
Canadian LGBT poets
Canadian gay writers
Canadian male short story writers
Canadian book editors
Canadian magazine journalists
Canadian magazine editors
Canadian radio producers
Writers from New York City
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Accidental deaths in Arizona
Canadian male non-fiction writers
20th-century Canadian short story writers
20th-century LGBT people