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.
Family
She was married to professor-turned-actor Dennis Letts until his death in 2008. The couple had three children: Dana, Tracy Letts, a playwright, and Shawn (a jazz musician/composer).[1][2]
Personal life
Letts was born as Billie Dean Gipson[3] in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the daughter of Virginia M. (Barnes), a secretary, and William C. Gipson.[4][5] She married Dennis Letts, a professor and actor, in 1958.[3] Dennis Letts served as his wife's editor for her own novels.[3][6] He died of lung cancer in Tulsa on February 22, 2008, aged 73.[3][6]
Death
Billie Letts died in a Tulsa hospital from pneumonia on August 2, 2014, aged 76. She had recently been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.[7][8]
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 nominations
- 1994 Walker Percy Award
- 1996 Oklahoma Book Award
- 1998 Oprah's Book Club – Best Novel nominee – Where the Heart Is
References
- ↑ 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.
- 1 2 3 4 "TV and film actor Dennis Letts dies". Tulsa World. 2008-02-24. Retrieved 2008-03-00. Check date values in:
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(help) - ↑ "Billie Jean Gipson Letts (1938–2014) – Find A Grave Memorial". findagrave.com. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- ↑ "Letts, Billie 1938–". highbeam.com. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
- 1 2 "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.
External links
- Author interview: Billie Letts at Hachette Book Group USA
- Interview With Billie Letts (July 2004)