Career
Born and raised in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, the middle child of Audrey and Dane Gibson, Margaret Gibson began writing in the early 1970s to document her struggle with mental illness. Biographical references are, however, in conflict as to whether Gibson suffered from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Gibson was married in the early 1970s to Stuart Gilboord, with whom she had one son, Aaron.
Gibson published her debut short story collection, The Butterfly Ward, in 1976.
The book included the story "Making lieutenant", based on her experiences living with Russell, which was later made into the feature film Outrageous! by director Richard Benner. Hollis McLaren played "Liza Conners", the fictionalized version of Gibson, in that film.
Benner also produced a sequel, Too Outrageous!, ten years later. "Ada", another story in the collection, was the basis of a Canadian Broadcasting Company Television movie directed by Claude Jutra.
lieutenant was Jutra"s first English-language film production.
Gibson published three further collections of short stories before releasing her first novel, Opium Dreams, in 1997. She died in 2006 of breast cancer, aged 57. In 2011, Vassar College"s Powerhouse Theater produced David Solomon"s play, Margaret and Craig, in workshop.
The play was based on the writing of Craig Russell and Margaret Gibson.