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 (1938-05-30)May 30, 1938 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	August 2, 2014(2014-08-02) (aged 76) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Novelist, educator
Spouse	Dennis Letts ​ ​ (m. 1958; died 2008)​
Children	3; including Tracy

Biography

Letts 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

• 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^[8]
• 1996 Oklahoma Book Award^[9]
• 1998 Oprah's Book Club – Best Novel nominee – Where the Heart Is