Billie Dean Letts (née Gipson; May 30, 1938 – August 2, 2014) was an American novelist and educator. She was a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Billie Letts | |
|---|---|
| Born | Billie Dean Gipson May 30, 1938 |
| Died | August 2, 2014 (aged 76) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Novelist, educator |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3; including Tracy |
Biography
editLetts was born as Billie Dean Gipson[1] in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Virginia M. (née Barnes), a secretary, and William C. Gipson.[2]
She married Dennis Letts, a professor and actor, in 1958.[1] The couple had three children: Dana, Tracy (a playwright), and Shawn (a jazz musician/composer).[3][4] Dennis Letts served as editor for his wife's novels.[1][5] He died of lung cancer in Tulsa on February 22, 2008, aged 73.[1][5]
Letts died in a Tulsa hospital from pneumonia on August 2, 2014, aged 76. She had recently been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.[6][7]
Novels
edit- Where the Heart Is (1995)
- The Honk and Holler Opening Soon (1998)
- Shoot the Moon (2004)
- Made in the U.S.A. (2008)
Awards and honors
edit- 1994 Walker Percy Award[8]
- 1996 Oklahoma Book Award[9]
- 1998 Oprah's Book Club – Best Novel nominee – Where the Heart Is
References
edit- ^ a b c d "TV and film actor Dennis Letts dies". Tulsa World. 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ "Letts, Billie 1938–". highbeam.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ^ Letts family information Archived April 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, twbookmark.com; accessed August 13, 2014.
- ^ Excerpt from Playbill Archived March 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine; accessed August 13, 2014.
- ^ a b "Dennis Letts, 73, a Professor Who Became Broadway Actor, Dies". New York Times. Associated Press. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
- ^ Obituary for Billie Letts, nytimes.com, August 5, 2014; accessed August 13, 2014.
- ^ Dee Duren. "Best-Selling Oklahoma Author Billie Letts Dies". NewsOn6.com. Retrieved 2014-08-05.
- ^ "Billie Letts". www.fantasticfiction.co.uk.
- ^ "Interview With Billie Letts". Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
External links
edit- Author interview: Billie Letts at Hachette Book Group USA
- Interview With Billie Letts Archived 2014-02-28 at the Wayback Machine (July 2004)
- Letts, Billie Dean Gipson (1938–2014) in the Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
This article about a novelist of the United States born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This biography of an academic is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This Oklahoma-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |