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.
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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