W. Terrence Gordon
W. Terrence Gordon’s career as a university professor, published author, and editor has spanned forty year. At the time of his retirement from Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS) he held the Alexander McLeod Chair in Modern Languages. In retirement he has continued to develop courses in semantics, semiotics, and the theory and history of linguistics at St. Mary’s University (Halifax) as part of an inter-university program in linguistics. His primary area of research is the intellectual history of the twentieth century. His major works deal with Ferdinand de Saussure (the father of modern linguistics), C.K. Ogden (linguist and the inventor of a teaching system called BASIC English), Marshall McLuhan (of “global village” and “the medium is the message” fame), and more recently James Joyce. Gordon’s McLuhan for Beginners brought him the invitation to write the biography of Marshall McLuhan (Escape into Understanding, 1997), and he subsequently edited new editions of McLuhan’s major works. In addition to his teaching and writing activities, Gordon pursues business interests as a licensed REALTOR®in Nova Scotia, a passionate photographer who held his first solo exhibition in 2006, and an active member of the British Automobile Touring Association of Nova Scotia.