Essays about the literary history of Saskatchewan.

Volume 3 shifts its focus to Regina’s literary culture and to the coming generation of younger writers, but it continues to examine the best work from Saskatchewan. The impact, the relevance, the illuminations of our best writers’ work tend to move well beyond the borders of our province. This work transcends the regional sources of its inspiration. Just as Marilynne Robinson has much to say to Canadians about the disruptions and the graces of family life, Dianne Warren has much to say to Americans about the omnipresence of the past, the shadows it casts on people’s lives in the present. Many of our best books are nurtured by the history and the life of this province, but they spring into literature roughly in proportion to their applications and their immemorial responses to the human condition.

"The three volumes of this literary history constitute a bringing together of the best, the most influential, the most significant writing in our province... Many of our best books are nurtured by the history and the life of this province, but they spring into literature roughly in proportion to their applications and their immemorial responses to the human condition."Volume 3 shifts its focus to Regina's literary culture and to the coming generation of younger writers, but it continues to examine the best work from Saskatchewan. The impact, the relevance, the illuminations of our best writers' work tend to move well beyond the borders of our province. This work transcends the regional sources of its inspiration. Just as Marilynne Robinson has much to say to Canadians about the disruptions and the graces of family life, Dianne Warren has much to say to Americans about the omnipresence of the past, the shadows it casts on people's lives in the present. Many of our best books are nurtured by the history and the life of this province, but they spring into literature roughly in proportion to their applications and their immemorial responses to the human condition.

Saskatchewan’s literary history is both colourful and complex. It is also mature enough to deserve a critical investigation of its roots and origins, its salient features and its prominent players. This collection of scholarly essays, conceptualized and compiled by well-known Saskatchewan novelist, essayist and scholar David Carpenter, examines the Saskatchewan literary scene, from its early Aboriginal storytellers on through to the decades to the burgeoning 1970s. The dozen essays, preceded by a David Carpenter introduction, include such topics as “Our New Storytellers: Cree Literature in Saskatchewan”; “The Literary Construction of Saskatchewan before 1905: Narratives of Trade, Rebellion and Settlement” and “The New Generation: The Seventies Remembered.” Also included are special topics, among them – “Playwriting in Saskatchewan”; “Feral Muse, Angelic Muse – The Poetry of Anne Szumigalski”, and tribute pieces to John V. Hicks, R.D. Symons, Terrence Heath and Alex Karras. Contributing scholars include the likes of: Kristina Fagan, Jenny Kerber, Susan Gingell, Ken Mitchell and Martin Winquist.

Progressions presents another batch of erudite and entertainingessays on a variety of topics covering Saskatchewan’s literarydevelopment, as well as tributes to some of the major con-tributors to that history, and a pictorial glimpse into the past.Writers stopped using typewriters, and even moved beyond theKaypro computer box for their compositions. The SaskatchewanSchool of the Arts was shut down, ending the Fort San writingexperience. But the Sage Hill Writing Experience quickly rose toreplace it. Saskatchewan literary presses really found their feet andpublished important and lasting books. A wave of new writersjoined the founders of the province’s literary tradition. Respondingto this growth in the community, the Saskatchewan Book Awards,and the Saskatchewan Festival of Words in Moose Jaw came intobeing. The Saskatchewan writing community stormed out of the20th Century in a frenzy of creativity and accomplishment.Essay contributors to Volume 2 include Dave Margoshes, JeanetteLynes, Aritha Van Herk, Alison Calder and seven more. The elevenessays include such topics as “To House or House Not: The NewSaskatchewan Women Poets”, “Contemporary Nature Writing inSaskatchewan”, “Fort San/Sage Hill” and “Brave and FoolishNonconformists”. In addition, literary tributes are offered for:Caroline Heath, Pat Krause, Martha Blum and Max Braithwaite.