Writers challenge Saskatchewan stereotypes

Posted: November 12, 2014 1:05 p.m.

"Overlooking Saskatchewan: Minding the Gap", a book published by U of R Press, offers stories about contemporary and historical Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy of U of R Press

A group of writers, including several from the University of Regina, is challenging stereotypes of Saskatchewan with the book Overlooking Saskatchewan: Minding The Gap, a project published by U of R Press.

Dr Randal Rogers, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, is co-editor of the book with Dr. Christine Ramsay, Associate Professor in the Department of Film, who brought together critical chapters, art works, poetry, and historical accounts of people, places and events that have shaped Saskatchewan.

“It is easy to judge a place without having been there,” said Rogers. “Most people outside of Saskatchewan don't see it as a destination unless they have another reason to come here.”

But for Rogers, the recent economic story of Saskatchewan is also changing this view, as are the waves of new immigrants coming for work, educational training, and to make a new home.

 “For the book we tried to choose contributors and topics that were diverse and covered multiple topics in geography, in discipline, in race, in gender, in sexuality, and in approach.  We wanted a strong Aboriginal presence,” said Rogers.

The stories offer a rich variety of contemporary and historical perspectives on Saskatchewan.

Chapters include: I love Regina, The Art of the Small Prairie City; Early Cinema in Saskatchewan; The Fur Trade and Indian People of Northern Saskatchewan; and Little Miss Higgins Sings the Blues in Nokomis, Saskatchewan.

“We want readers to think about how place is constructed, how place is made, and we hope that people will come away from Overlooking Saskatchewan with a sense of how place-making in Saskatchewan has occurred in the past and is happening today.”

Of the 22 contributors to the book 14 have a connection to the University of Regina, and the editors hope that Overlooking Saskatchewan becomes a source of conversations and insights on our province across campus, across the province, and nationally.