Carpenter has gone back to his scholarly beginnings to bring together a series of essays on literary writing in Saskatchewan.

These essays, written by more than three dozen luminaries from across the country, including Carpenter himself, make up volumes 1 to 3 of The Literary History of Saskatchewan.

The essays examine works from a wide range of writers: from Cree writing in Saskatchewan as it emerges from the oral tradition to the printed word, to beloved poets such as Louise Halfe, Anne Szumigalski, Lorna Crozier and Sylvia Legris. The history takes a long look at such storied writers as Guy Vanderhaeghe, Yann Martel and Dianne Warren, and features several major essays on literary nonfiction.

The depth and range of this writing is astonishing, especially in a province as big as Texas but with a population less than that of the city of Calgary.