Billie Letts
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
Letts was born as Billie Dean Gipson in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Virginia M. (née Barnes), a secretary, and William C. Gipson.
She married Dennis Letts, a professor and actor, in 1958. The couple had three children: Dana, Tracy (a playwright), and Shawn (a jazz musician/composer). Dennis Letts served as editor for his wife's novels. He died of lung cancer in Tulsa on February 22, 2008, aged 73.
Letts died in a Tulsa hospital from pneumonia on August 2, 2014, aged 76. She had recently been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
Novels
- 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
- 1994 Walker Percy Award
- 1996 Oklahoma Book Award
- 1998 Oprah's Book Club – Best Novel nominee – Where the Heart Is
References
External links
- 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