Writing Out Loud, 2009
”What I love about this book is the message that home and family are not always what you are born into, but in the people and places where you find love.”—Oprah Winfrey
Billie Letts
(1938–2014)
Billie Letts, a former college English professor, became a household name when Oprah Winfrey selected her first novel, Where the Heart Is (1995), as an Oprah Book Club selection. The book, an international bestseller, features pregnant teenager Novalee Nation, who seeks refuge in an Oklahoma Wal-Mart store. Actress Natalie Portman portrays Novalee in the film version of the story.
Also an accomplished screenwriter, Billie is the mother of Pulitzer-winning playwright Tracy Letts. His play, August: Osage County (2008) is partially based on the tumultuous marriage of Billie’s parents.
Related listings: Tracy Letts and Rilla Askew
Did You Know...
Billie Letts was once an Arthur Murray dance instructor.Getting Started with Billie Letts
Selected WorksWhere the Heart Is, 1995
The Honk and Holler Opening Soon, 1998
Made in the USA, 2008
The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture