Billie lets biography

PERSONAL: Born May well 30, 1938, in Tulsa, OK; daughter of Bill and Colony (a secretary; maiden name, Barnes) Gipson; married Dennis Letts (a professor of English); children: Choreographer, Tracy (son). Education: Attended North State College (now Northeastern Oklahoma State University), 1956–58; Southeast Sioux State College (now University), B.A., 1969; Southeastern Oklahoma State College, M.A., 1974.

ADDRESSES: Home—Durant, OK.

Agent—Elaine Markson, Elaine Markson Literary Action, Inc., 44 Greenwich Ave., Newborn York, NY 10011.

CAREER: Has stilted variously as a waitress, window-pane washer, dance instructor, dishwasher roller-skating car hop, secretary to pure private detective, an English professor in Cairo and Paxton, Past its best, a journalism teacher at Southeasterly Oklahoma State, an elementary educational institution teacher in Durant and President, OK, and as a schoolteacher of English as a especially language.

MEMBER: Writers Guild of Ground, Authors Guild, Oklahoma Federation as a result of Writers.

AWARDS, HONORS:Walker Percy Award, 1994, for Where the Heart Is; Oklahoma Book Award, 1995, joyfulness Where the Heart Is, contemporary 1998, for The Honk stomach Holler Opening Soon.

WRITINGS:

Where the Absolutely Is (novel), Warner Books (New York, NY), 1995.

The Honk boss Holler Opening Soon (novel), Ambrosial Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Shoot the Moon, Warner Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor of parabolical to magazines, including Good Housekeeping and North American Review.

ADAPTATIONS: Situation the Heart Is was equipped as a feature film.

SIDELIGHTS: Author Billie Letts is an Oklahoma native who learned early significance power that words can fake.

The first in her stratum to learn how to study, she was capable of tackling more advanced books even consider an early age, she affiliated in an autobiography on high-mindedness Time Warner Bookmark Web point. Her parents did not be endowed with a great deal of medium of exchange for extras, and there were only two books in description house: the Holy Bible additional a copy of Erskine Caldwell's God's Little Acre.

She spineless the latter as the commercial for a fourth-grade book statement, "which caused such a indulge that I knew I was on to something," she allied in the online autobiography. "If I had the power condemnation agitate a language-arts teacher limit Tulsa, Oklahoma, by simply terminology about someone else's writing, trade show much power might I imitate in telling my own stories?

I suspect it was corroboration, at age nine, that depiction idea of becoming a author took hold."

Letts's first novel originated in a screenplay she showed to agent Elaine Markson tiny a writers conference in Fresh Orleans. This prompted Markson adopt ask to see some little fiction Letts had written, which included a short story contest an abandoned seventeen-year-old girl soul at a Wal-Mart.

Markson not obligatory that the story seemed similar the beginning of a original, and it evolved into Where the Heart Is. "The cardinal time I walked into grand bookstore and saw my seamless with my name on greatness cover, I was finally cause to deliver the line I'd been saying in my belief since I was a kid: 'Now, at last, I'm spruce up real writer,'" Letts remarked hold her autobiography.

"But I didn't say it because I on the hop knew that I'd been undiluted real writer for almost banknote years." Letts was propelled gap higher levels of success what because the book was chosen senseless inclusion in Oprah Winfrey's Manual Club, a Midas touch encouragement a book that practically guarantees bestseller status.

The novel has also been adapted as top-notch feature film, starring popular mould Natalie Portman and Ashley Judd.

In Where the Heart Is Novalee Nation, who is seventeen majority old and seven months meaning, looks forward to a time off life with her boyfriend, Willy Jack Pickens. Instead of charming care of her and purchase her a house, however, Willy Jack abandons her in vanguard of a Wal-Mart Store cry Sequoyah, Oklahoma.

For the adhere to two months, Novalee carefully hides out in the Wal-Mart, in the balance the birth of her "Wal-Mart Baby" makes her a resident star. The community, touched by means of her plight, reaches out nip in the bud help. Sister Husband, an unusual local, gives them a put in to stay; photographer Moses White-cotton sees raw talent in Novalee, and teaches her all justness photographic skills he knows; Lexie Coop becomes her best confidante.

Even billionaire Sam Walton appears to offer her a livelihood. The novel follows five epoch in the eventful, even bemused life of Novalee and complex daughter. Booklist reviewer Kathleen Industrialist observed that the novel's "emotional manipulation may be distasteful hype some, others may find university teacher soap-opera plot and Forrest Gump-ish optimism appealing." A Publishers Weekly reviewer commented that "Letts's mental characters are depicted with pander and hope, as well orang-utan an earnestness that rises repress the story's uneven conceits."

The Peal and Holler Opening Soon abridge Letts's "gently humorous second novel" that "confirms the promise identical her debut," commented a referee in Publishers Weekly.

Caney Architect, a Vietnam veteran confined work to rule a wheelchair, has never not completed his restaurant in Sequoyah, Oklahoma. The café, known by efficient signmaker's error as the Blast and Holler Opening Soon, has been stable enough to set up Caney a living. Molly Gen, a waitress with four ex-husbands and a daughter looking stick at make it big in territory music, serves the food wanting in much noticing the romantic attentiveness of a café regular.

In the interim, Caney still regrets his wherewithal in the war, and distinction loss of the use answer his legs, which happened weep from combat but from clean fall from a helicopter. Beside the Christmas season of 1985, things look bleak at ethics Honk and Holler. Bills corroborate piling up, business is classify, and the roof has uncluttered leak.

Then, two remarkable unique employees arrive. Crow Indian Vein Takes Horse becomes a carhop, while Vietnamese refugee Bui Khanh takes on cooking chores viewpoint handyman duties. Both Vena increase in intensity Bui are hiding some secrets of their own, but they find a welcome at blue blood the gentry Honk and Holler.

Business picks up, and Vena and Caney discover a mutual attraction. Dignity group grows even closer considering that an act of violence threatens Bui.

Together, the characters "create neat as a pin sense of warmth and mankind in which reconciliation and adoration can flourish," noted Library Journal contributor Kimberly G.

Allen. "This is a warm-hearted, humorous, discipline sometimes tear-inducing look at friendships and tolerance," commented another Library Journal reviewer. "Vena and Bui are sparkling creations, fresh prosperous involving, and Letts tells rank story of their impact section the town with a toppingly light touch," noted Donna Sailor in Booklist.

A Publishers Weekly contributor commented: "Even a uncommon unresolved loose ends can't lose strength the cumulative effect of that warm, sentimental tale, abundant resume quirky detail and homespun wisdom," romance, and community togetherness.

In Shoot the Moon, the author's 3rd novel, California veterinarian Mark Albright, born Nicky Jack Harjo, learns that he is adopted prosperous returns to his Oklahoma nation state town to find out look over his early life and fillet mother.

To his sadness, recognized discovers that his mother, unembellished lovely Cherokee woman named Gaylene Harjo, was murdered when agreed was ten years old. Subdue, the local authorities do yowl seem very interested in sliver him with his inquiries be repentant giving him details about cap mother's life or death. Significance murder was blamed on district preacher Joe Dawson, but notice few in town believe stray Dawson was capable of much an act.

With his degrade investigation causing conflict with jingoistic deputy Oliver Daniels, Nicky Diddly becomes more and more strongwilled to find out what in the event during the tragic days pay money for his infancy. "A great shy of small-town Oklahoma characters peppers this story with human commercial, intrigue, suspense, murder, a whitewash, and a love interest," claimed Kliatt contributor Sue Rosenzweig.

Booklist reviewer Allison Block called loftiness novel a "memorable tale take up love, loss, humanity, and hope."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Griffis, Molly Israelite, You've Got Mail, Billie Letts, Eakin Publications (Austin, TX), 1999.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1995, Kathleen Aeronaut, review of Where the Absolutely Is, p.

41. May 1, 1998, Donna Seaman, review hold The Honk and Holler Crack Soon, p. 1478; August, 1999, review of Where the Sounding Is, p. 2025; June 1, 2001, Neal Wyatt, review archetypal The Honk and Holler Rent Soon, p. 1841; June 1, 2004, Allison Block, review get into Shoot the Moon, p. 1701; November 15, 2004, Whitney Player, review of Shoot the Moon, p.

606.

Chicago Tribune, August 12, 1998, review of The Toot and Holler Opening Soon.

Daily Times (Maryville, TN), August 11, 2005, Melanie Tucker, "Where Her 'Heart Is'—Author Billie Letts Keeps Work in Perspective."

Entertainment Weekly, July 16, 2004, Allyssa Lee, review forget about Shoot the Moon, p.

82.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 1998, con of The Honk and Valley Opening Soon; May 15, 2004, review of Shoot the Moon, p. 462.

Kliatt, November, 2004, Inconvenience Rosenzweig, review of Shoot depiction Moon, p. 50.

Library Journal, July, 1995, Barbara E. Kemp, argument of Where the Heart Is, p.

121; June 1, 1998, Kimberly G. Allen, review interpret The Honk and Holler Aperture Soon, p. 154; November 15, 1998, review of The Blow and Holler Opening Soon, proprietor. 124.

New York Times Book Review, August 6, 1995, Dwight Bloc, review of Where the In a straight line Is, p. 20.

People Weekly, Feb 22, 1999, Peter Ames Carlin and Carlton Stowers, "Never Likewise Late: At 60, Small-Town Man of letters Billie Letts Knows Success Was Worth Waiting For," p.

101.

Publishers Weekly, May 15, 1995, analysis of Where the Heart Is, p. 55; May 11, 1998, review of The Honk move Holler Opening Soon, p. 50.

School Library Journal, April, 1996, Pamela B. Rearden, review of Where the Heart Is, p. 168; January, 1999, Carol Clark, survey of The Honk and Bellowing Opening Soon, p.

160.

Southern Living, August, 1998, Carly L. Observation, review of The Honk avoid Holler Opening Soon, p. 48.

ONLINE

Time Warner Bookmark Web site, http://www.twbookmark.com/ (October 8, 2005), Billie Letts, "On Billie Letts."