Alumni Book Nook: Gayle M. Smith (MFA’15)

Gayle M. Smith’s novel, Thickwood, stems from the author’s time as a graduate student in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing program at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). The original manuscript for the novel was derived from Smith’s creative thesis for the MFA degree, which she received in 2015.

Thickwood, published by Shadowpaw Press, went on to become a Saskatchewan Book Award finalist in 2023, in the First Book Award category. Smith, who lives near Clavet, Sask., owns and operates an equestrian riding and boarding facility called Sunny Plain Ranch that provides inspiration for her writing.

Post-World War Two in Saskatchewan finds a young woman with a love of horses, from a ranch in the Thickwood Hills, playing baseball with the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She is trying to save her family ranch from being overtaken by the newly formed PFRA (Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration) pasture.

The discontinuation of the federal oversight of the PFRA pastures prompted research into how these pastures were formed and how the pasture managers, employees, and neighbours were involved and impacted.

I interviewed several people who were employed or connected to the Saskatchewan PFRA pastures. This project formed my thesis.

I receive enthusiastic feedback about my novel, Thickwood. I am asked if I will write a sequel! Readers enjoy the main character and her struggle to secure a future for herself. Readers also like the historical details of post-World War Two in Saskatchewan—a period of great change. Readers who are captivated by horses, history, or sports enjoy the novel. 

My husband and I have taken our horses on many adventures, including back-country camping in the northern forest of Prince Albert National Park. We have encountered bears, bison, beaver, and wolves, and rugged trails. 

We have also used our local PFRA community pasture to graze our growing cow herd. I discovered the Royal Community Pasture was on the border of the Thickwood Hills boreal forest. I asked the pasture manager if my husband and I could do a pack trip in the pasture, as it presented the ideal setting for my novel. Our trip overnight in the Thickwood Hills and the time spent visiting and listening to spectacular stories definitely reinforced my own experience. I felt I could tell my story with authenticity, based on my personal experiences and firsthand accounts of local people. 

I have been working on the craft of writing for over 25 years. I am an avid reader. I am part of a writing group and I have taken writing classes from admirable writers. When the opportunity to apply for the MFA in Writing at the University of Saskatchewan presented itself, I quickly applied as I had the academic credentials, a portfolio, and letters of recommendation. The MFA program was a natural continuation of my writing journey.

I truly loved the MFA in Writing program! Dr. Jeanette Lynes was a fantastic professor and guide. I had a perfect writing mentor, Allan Safarik (Swedes’ Ferry), who encouraged my writing into a manuscript that evolved into a published novel, Thickwood. I absorbed the many learning opportunities from accomplished writers, and I thrived in the collegial writing environment. 

When I wrote my novel, I immersed myself into the story world of Thickwood. I was in the fictional dream with my main character. Once the novel was published, I had to release the novel to other readers. Thickwood was out of my hands. Receiving recognition for a first published novel was extremely validating and gratifying. I was grateful and humbled to receive acknowledgment from the Saskatchewan literary world.