Writing Out Loud, 2008
“Wise, timely, and constructive views from one of the leading public servants and educators of our time.”—David McCullough
David Boren
(1941– )
Former Oklahoma Governor and U.S. Senator David Boren, past president of the University of Oklahoma, is author of A Letter to America (2008), an open appeal to our country that Jim Lehrer calls “a message of alarm but also of hope. ”
A student of literature as well as politics and history, Boren quietly disagreed with his father Lyle Boren’s view of The Grapes of Wrath and its impact on Oklahoma. The elder Boren, a former Congressman, was particularly offended by Steinbeck’s portrayal of the Joads and denounced the novel on the House floor. But in his personal correspondence, David writes that he believes Steinbeck “treated the family as tenacious, heroic, and in many respects triumphant.”
Related listings: Bob Burke and Fred R. Harris
Did You Know...
As a young man, David Boren developed a friendship with poet Robert Frost.Getting Started with David Boren
Selected WorksA Letter to America, 2008
Also: Oklahoma Statesman: The Life of David Boren by Bob Burke, Von Russell Creel, and Gini Moore Campbell, 2008
Find Out MoreThe Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture