Oklahoma Center for the Book. 1993 Oklahoma Book Award Program.;

              March 6, 1993

Welcome
to the Fourth Annual
Oklahoma Book Awards
National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center
Oklahoma City
Harold Keith
recipient of the
1993 Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award
Born in 1903 in Lambert, Oklahoma Territory, Harold Keith spent his early
childhood in Watonga. He attended Northwestern State Teachers College at Alva, and
the University of Oklahoma in Norman, receiving a B.S. in 1929 and an M.A. in 1938,
both in history.
He was Sports Information Director at the University of Oklahoma from 1930
until 1969, and has made his home in Norman for more than 67 years.
Mr. Keith, 89, is a distance runner, once breaking the U.S. Masters Association
three-mile record for men over 70. He won a 3,OOO-meter steeplechase at Philadelphia
in 1928.
Keith was president of the College Sports Information Directors of America in
1964, and a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association public relations
committee from 1960 to 1969. He received the Arch Ward Memorial Trophy for
outstanding achievement in sports pUblicity in 1961. He designed the Sooner press
box, voted best in the country by the Football Writers Association of America in 1951.
Mr. Keith, who writes by hand, has won many awards. He received the 1958
Newbery Medal for his book for children, Riflesfor Watie. He received a Western
Heritage Award for Susy' s Scoundrel in 1974 and another for The Obstinate Land in
1977. Keith's book about Comanches, Komantcia, was named a New York Times
Best Book in 1965. His sports articles have appeared in the Saturday Evening Post
and Esquire. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.
Rifles for Watie, a .story about a young boy during the Civil War living in what is
now Oklahoma, continues to be popular with teachers and students across the United
States. In the past year, Keith has spoken with students in Alabama, Kansas, and
Oklahoma who utilized Rifles for Watie in their study of the Civil War. Keith re­searched
extensively for the book, drawing from journals and diaries kept by Civil
War veterans and interviews with them, State historical collections, personal letters
written during the war, and other primary sources.
His book, The Sound of Strings. is a finalist in this year's Children/Y oung Adult
category. It is the long-awaited sequel to Komantcia. The award Mr. Keith will
receive, called the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award, is so named for the
Norman historian. "I'm proud to win something with his name on it," Mr. Keith said
of the award.
The honor recognizes persons who have made major contributions to Oklahoma's
literary heritage.
1993 Oklahoma Book Awards
A Celebration of Oklahoma Books and Authors
Welcome ......................................................... David Clark
President, Oklahoma Center for the Book
Comments ....................................................... John Y. Cole
Executive Director
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress
Master of Ceremonies .......................................... Daniel Blanchard
Past-President, Oklahoma Center for the Book
Poetry Award ........................................ presented by Carol Hamilton
1992 Poetry Award winner
Non-Fiction Award ..................................... presented by Lee Brawner
Director, Metropolitan Library System
Children/Young Adult Award ....................... presented by Robert L. Clark, Jr.
Director, Oklahoma Department of Libraries
DesignlIllustration Award ............................. presented by Aarone Corwin
Director, Oklahoma Center for the Book
Fiction A ward ........................................ presented by Glenda Carlile
Director, Oklahoma Center for the Book
Lifetime Achievement Award .................... presented by Dr. Stephen Sutherland
Adjunct Professor of Geography, University of Oklahoma
Announcements .................................................. Ann Hamilton
Executive Director, Oklahoma Center for the Book
1993 Oklahoma Book Award Finalists
FICTION ------------------------
Blood Sisters by Judith Henry Wall
This author lives in Nonnan. Her books, Love and Duty and Handsome Women, along with Blood
Sisters, were all selected for the Book of the Month Club. Blood Sisters, in addition, is a selection of
Time/Life Condensed Books and has been optioned for a made-for-TV movie.
Cry of the Hawk by Terry C. Johnston
Now living in Montana, Johnston grew up in Oklahoma. Well-known for his frontier adventure
novels, his book Carry the Wind, won the Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award from the Western Writers of
America. Many of his books have appeared on best-seller lists throughout the country.
Ghostland and Ravenmocker by Jean Hager
Known for her mysteries using Native American characters in northeastern Oklahoma settings, Jean
Hager has written a wide range of fiction. Residing in Tulsa, she is a graduate of the University of
Central Oklahoma and is an honorary life member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation.
Lady of Spain by Robert Love Taylor
Setting Lady of Spain in Oklahoma City and its suburbs, Taylor portrays a troubled family during the
1930s. He is from Oklahoma and has written many short stories and several books. He is Chainnan
of the English Department at Bucknell University and lives in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.
The lOOth Kill by Charles W. Sasser
"Few writers know men or war as well as Chuck Sasser," according to one reviewer. A distinguished
military historian, he has given attention to authenticity in this novel of the Vietnam war. He lives in
Tulsa.
Primary Justice by William Bernhardt
A trial attorney in a Tulsa law finn, Mr. Bernhardt has actively promoted legal services for the poor
and elderly and, with his wife, founded a career counseling program for teenagers with an interest in
law. He was named Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Tulsa County Bar Association. Primary
Justice is his first novel.
Red Knight by J. Madison Davis
J. Madison Davis is the head of the professional writing program at the University of Oklahoma. He
taught English at Penn State University until 1991. He was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best
First Novel for The Murder of Frau Schutz. Red Knight is his fourth novel.
Southern Ghost by Carolyn Hart
Southern Ghost is the eighth book written by Carolyn G. Hart, in her "Death on Demand" series.
Books in this series have won an Agatha, an Anthony and a Macavity. Nationally known for these
award-winning mysteries, she lives in Oklahoma City.
Strange Business by Rilla Askew
"I understand myself to be an Oklahoma writer," Askew says. "This is my subject and these are the
people I write about." A native Oklahoman with theater, dancing and writing experience, she has lived
in New York for the past 12 years. Strange Business is her first book.
NON-FICTION---------------------------------------------
The Cherokee Strip: Its History and Grand Opening by D. Earl Newsom
A native of Drumright, Newsom is author of several historical books, including two volumes on the
great Drumright oil field. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and editor, then taught journal­ism
at Texas A&M and the University of Maryland.
Claiming Breath by Diane Glancy
Ms. Glancy teaches creative writing and Native American literature at Macalaster College in S1. Paul,
Minnesota. She has won awards for her poetry and short fiction. For years she supported her family
by driving throughout Oklahoma and Arkansas teaching poetry in schools. Claiming Breath is the
diary from one year of that experience.
The Color Line: Legacy for the Twenty-First Century by John Hope Franklin
With more than ninety honorary degrees and dozens of other awards and honors, John Hope Franklin
is one of this country's most honored academicians. He is the James B. Duke Professor Emeritus
of History and, from 1985 to 1992, was Professor of Legal History in the Law School at Duke
University.
The Creators by Daniel Boorstin
Dr. Boorstin, originally from Tulsa, served as Librarian of Congress for 12 years, was director of the
Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and has won the Pulitzer Prize, the Bancroft
Prize, and the Francis Parkman Prize. He lives with his wife, Ruth, in Washington, D.C.
The Last Train North by Clifton Taulbert
Mr. Taulbert, a nationally-acclaimed speaker, has appeared on the Donahue Show, Black Entertain­ment
Television and National Public Radio, and his writing has appeared in Time, Parade Magazine,
and other national publications. He lives with his wife and two children in Tulsa.
The Life and Times of Henry Bellmon by Henry Bellmon with Pat Bellmon
"T~ere will probably never be another Henry Bellmon. But for the ~ake of our state and country, I
hope I'm wrong," states Robert Henry in the forward to this important book about Oklahoma's first
Republican governor. Henry Bellmon's daughter, Pat, works as a freelance writer and editor and
teaches journalism at Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa. She lives in Enid with her son, Will.
Mid-Lands: A Family Album by Robert Murray Davis
Mid-Lands is a reflective and entertaining evocation of regional American life. Robert Murray Davis
combines memoir with social history and inspired storytelling. He is a professor of English at the
University of Oklahoma.
On Coon Mountain, Scenes from a Childhood in the Oklahoma Hills by Glen Ross
Glen Ross has written an autobiography, in essay form, of his childhood in the Cookson Hills in
northeast Oklahoma. He has taught creative writing at the University of Central Oklahoma for more
than 20 years.
Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd by Michael Wallis
Wallis lives in Tulsa where he has a public relations firm. He has been a writer for several years and
his work has been published in more than 100 national and international magazines and newspapers.
He is the author of Route 66: The Mother Road.
DESIGNIILLUSTRATION -------------------
Oklahoma Bird Life Written by Frederick M. and A. Marguerite Baumgartner
Illustrated by Wallace Hughes
Mr. Hughes is a highly-regarded bird artist and photographer. He grew up in Tulsa, and met the
Baumgartners while working for Outdoor Oklahoma. They invited him to do the paintings for their
book, which he completed after moving to Florida. He is art director of Florida Wildlife.
Two-Volume Philbrook Handbook Edited and Designed by Carol Haralson
The Handbook to the Collections brings eight major areas of the Philbrook Museum's holdings into
brilliant focus, with full-color photographs of selected artworks. A Guide to the Villa & its Gardens
celebrates the grace and presence of Villa Philbrook.
The Spirit o/Oklahoma Designed by Pat Velte
Ms. Velte has spent most of her career, more than 22 years, at KWTV, the CBS affiliate in Oklahoma
City. Griffin Television, owner of KWTV, is proud to present this "portrait of Oklahoma by
Oklahomans. "
The Twelve Cats o/Chrislmas Written and Illustrated by Kandy Radzinski
Kandy Radzinski says, "I've been an illustrator all my life." She taught art at the University of Tulsa,
and has lived in that city for 20 years. This is her second book.
The Watercolors o/Carolyn Brady Written by Irene McManus Designed by Abby Goldstein
Abby Goldstein lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she specializes in designing art books. Her
clients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, as well
as the Art Gallery at Princeton University.
Will Rogers, Courtship and Correspondence 1900-1915 Written by Reba Collins
Designed by Carol Haralson
Tulsan Carol Haralson won the 1991 Oklahoma Book Award for Cleora's Kitchens, and she designed
tl)e covers for three other finalists in this year's contest. A book de~igner for 10 years, she was
formerly the Director of Publications at the Philbrook Museum of Art.
POETRY--------------------------
another distance: new and selected poems and A Cheyenne Sketchbook: Selected Poems 1970-1991
by Lance Henson
Lance Henson has a Master's Degree from Tulsa University in Creative Writing. He is a Native
American, growing up in western Oklahoma among his tribe, the Cheyenne. He has had many books
of poetry published, and his work has been translated into more than 15 languages.
Coolin' Down: An Anthology o/Contemporary Cowboy Poetry Edited by Phil Martin
Phil Martin is a political science, sociology and psychology professor at Panhandle State University,
at Goodwell, Oklahoma. He also coaches the rodeo team. Martin, himself a cowboy poet, compiled
this anthology to create and contribute to a rodeo scholarship fund for Panhandle State.
Cowboys and Indians, Christmas Shopping by Carter Revard
A native Oklahoman and part Osage, Carter Revard grew up near Bartlesville. He attended a one­room
grade school and went on to graduate from high school, the University of Tulsa, Oxford (on
Rhodes scholarship) and Yale. He has had numerous poems published in literary magazines and
anthologies, and had a previous poetry book published in 1980.
The Sawdust War by Jim Barnes
Born in Summerfield, Oklahoma, LeFlore County, Jim Barnes is of Choctaw-Welsh descent. His
poems, essays, short stories, and translations have appeared in literary magazines for many years. He
has received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry and a Rockefeller Foundation
Bellagio (Italy) Residency Fellowship. He is Editor of The Chariton Review, and Professor of
comparative literature at Northeast Missouri State University.
CHILDREN/YOUNG ADULT ----------------­Buffalo
Gal by Bill Wallace
Bill Wallace, a native of Chickasha, has written several novels for children, including many award
winners. As an elementary school principal, he told stories to his students-a practice which led to his
writing career. His books, A Dog Called Kitty and Beauty, won the Sequoyah Children's Book Award.
The Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weed patch Camp by Jerry Stanley
This the story of Okie children of Dust Bowl days and the school superintendent who believed in
them. This is Mr. Stanley's first book and a movie option has been purchased. He has numerous aca­demic
publications and is a history professor at California State University at Bakersfield, California.
New Feetfor Old by Barrett Waller
Barrett Waller is a native of Tulsa. He is a former Tulsa World reporter and works in public relations
at St. John Medical Center. He says he's "not sure" how he got the idea for this book, " except," he
says, "my feet are oversized and I love animals."
People of the Sacred Arrows, the Southern Cheyenne Today by Stan Hoig
Dr. Hoig has written books and articles on Indian and Western history and his A Capital for the Nation
won the 1991 Oklahoma Book Award in the Children!Young Adult category. He is Professor Emeri­tus
of Journalism at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Red Dirt Jessie by Anna Myers
Red Dirt Jessie is Anna Myers' first novel for children. She has been described in leading national
book reviews as a "new talent to watch" and a writer of "good historical fiction." Red Dirt Jessie
received a Parent's Choice 1992 Story Book Honor. She lives in Chandler, and is a former teacher.
The Sound of Strings by Harold Keith
This book by Harold Keith is the long-awaited sequel to Komantcia, a New York Times Best Book in
1965. It takes the reader into the life of the proud, fierce Comanche Indians during the mid 1800s.
Stegosaurs, the SollJr-Powered Dinosaurs by Helen Roney Sattler
Mrs. Sattler attributed her interest in dinosaurs to her grandson, who asked her questions about them
when he was young. This highly-acclaimed author of science books for children died in June, 1992.
Trouble Dolls by Dian Curtis Regan
Dian Curtis Regan began writing for children several years ago. A former teacher, she is an Okla­homa
artist-in-residence, as well as the regional advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers,
and a consultant for the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
The Oklahoma Center for the Book wishes to thank the judges
for the 1993 competition. They were:
Doug Bentin
Dan Blanchard
CIanci Brown
Kathryn Fanning
Jean Ann Fausser
Robert Finch
Sonja Fowler
Karyn Gilman
Danney Goble
Carol Hamilton
James Herring
Joan Isom
Ken Jackson
Mary McAnally
Lynn Moroney
Robert T. Motter, Jr.
Suzanne Mounger
Nancy Pearl
Byron Price
A.P. Samuels
Jim Starr
Robert Swisher
James R. Tolbert III
Kathryn Jenson White
William R. Young
The Oklahoma Center for the Book acknowledges the generous contributions
of the following organiZiltions and individuals:
A Likely Story Bookstore, Oklahoma City
Barna Pies, Tulsa
Rita E. Bell, Tulsa
Best of Books, Edmond
F. Lee and Gale Bollinger, Oklahoma City
Jean Brace, Ponca City
Council Oak Books, Tulsa
Tom & Jean Ann Fausser, Tulsa
Full Circle Books, Oklahoma City
Allece Garrard, MacAlester
James and Jane Herring, Lawton
Neustadt Charitable Foundation, Ardmore
Oklahoma Independent Booksellers Association
The Oklahoma Department of Libraries
Steve Shockey
The Waterford Hotel
A very special thanks to the chair of the ceremony committee:
Liz Codding
Previous Oklahoma Book Award Winners
Fiction:
1990, Robert Love Taylor, The Lost Sister
1991, Linda Hogan, Mean Spirit
1992, Robert L. Duncan, The Serpent's Mark
Non-Fiction:
1990, Leonard Leff, Hitchcock & Selznick
1991, Carl Albert & Danney Goble, Little Giant
1992, David Morgan, Robert England and George Humphreys,
Oklahoma Politics & Policies: Governing the Sooner State
Poetry/Playwriting:
1990, William Kistler, The Elizabeth Sequence
1992, Carol Hamilton, Once the Dust
Design/Illustration:
1990, David E. Hunt, The Lithographs oj Charles Banks Wilson
1991, Carol Haralson, Cleora's Kitchens
1992, Joe Williams, Woolaroc
Children/Young Adult:
1990, Helen Roney Sattler, Tyrannosaurus and His Kin
1991, Stan Hoig, A Capitoljor the Nation
1992, Jess & Bonnie Speer, Hillback to Boggy
Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award:
1990, Dr. Daniel Boorstin, Librarian of Congress Emeritus, Native of Tulsa
1991, Tony Hillerman, Mystery Writer, Native of Sacred Heart
1992, Savoie Lottinville, Director of the University of Oklahoma Press for 30 years
Oklahoma Center for the Book
Officers and Board of Directors
David Draper Clark of Norman is president.
Mr. Oark is managing editor of World Literature Today, a literary quarterly published by
the University of Oklahoma.
Glenda Carlile of Oklahoma City is vice-president.
Mrs. Carlile, an author, portrays Oklahoma Territorial women from her book Buckskin,
Calico, and Lace for schools, libraries and other civic groups. She also serves on the board
of the Oklahoma County Historical Society.
Ken Tracy of Tulsa is secretary.
Mr. Tracy is a bookseller, owner of Yorktown Books in Tulsa, and also serves on the
board of the American Bookseller's Association.
Laurie Sundborg, also of Tulsa, serves as treasurer.
Mrs. Sundborg is librarian at West Regional Library in Tulsa.
The Oklahoma Center for the Book is a non-profit, 5Dl-c-3 organization, serving as an
outreach program of the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Oklahoma's Center,
begun in 1986, was the fourth state center formed. The mission of the Oklahoma Center for
the Book is to promote the past, current, and future work of Oklahoma authors; to promote
the literary heritage of the state; and to encourage reading for pleasure by Oklahomans of all
ages.
The Oklahoma Center for the Book is governed by a 3D-member, volunteer board of
directors from across the state. They are listed below, except for officers named above.
Dan Blanchard, Oklahoma City
Gale Bollinger, Oklahoma City
Jean Brace, Ponca City
Lee Brawner, Oklahoma City
Robert L. Clark, Jr., Edmond
Liz Codding, Oklahoma City
Aarone Corwin, Midwest City
Phil Dessauer, Tulsa
Lennie Draper, Norman
Kathryn Fanning, Oklahoma City
Wayne Felts, Muskogee
Sonja Fowler, Oklahoma City
Frankie Sue Gilliam, Muskogee
Ann Hamilton, Edmond
Dan Hoffman, Oklahoma City
Ken Jackson, Tulsa
Guy Logsdon, Tulsa
Paulette Millichap, Tulsa
Robert T. Motter, Jr., Muskogee
Byron Price, Oklahoma City
Ron Robinson, Tahlequah
Robert Swisher, Norman
Sunny Tiedeman, Bartlesville
Marilyn Vesely, Norman
Highlights of Oklahoma Center
for the Book Projects
In addition to planning and administering the Oklahoma Book Awards program, the
Oklahoma Center for the Book has conducted or is currently involved in the following
projects:
Created a database of infonnation about hundreds of Oklahoma authors through an on-going
survey project and clipping services. This preliminary list is available to librarians and
teachers across the state to serve Oklahoma students of all ages, and to promote the work of
the authors who appear on the list.
Conducted "Fiction at the Fair" program, which featured 30 Oklahoma authors autographing
books in the Made in Oklahoma Building at the State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. More
than 4,000 citizens registered for free books at the booth.
Exhibited at "Friends of Day Care" conference in Tulsa, Encyclomedia, OEA, etc. to pro­mote
Oklahoma's storytellers and others involved in literary arts for young students.
Worked with National Book Foundation to bring Newbery Medalist Paula Fox to Oklahoma
City and Tulsa for presentations to elementary school children across the state. Total audi­ences
for these appearances exceeded 3500, including authors, librarians, and students.
Attended and exhibited materials at a bookfair in Northpark Mall featuring the work of
Oklahoma's self-publishers, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
Participated in Idea Exchange Day in Washington, DC, designed to share infonnation on
state reading and literacy programs and ways of promoting use oflibraries and the literary
arts.
Planned and conducted a reception honoring nearly 200 Native American writers from North
and South America, allowing the public to meet and exchange ideas with the authors. This
event was held in conjunction with the "Returning the Gift" festival on the campus of the
University of Oklahoma in Nonnan.
continued
Attended the Oklahoma Writer's Federation Conference to discuss ways to promote authors
within the state and beyond. Attended Oklahoma Library Association Conference to discuss
ways to promote the use of libraries by all age groups.
Prepared dozens of mailings to more than 200 libraries across the state promoting the work
of Oklahoma authors and encouraging libraries to bring authors to the libraries for
autographing and lectures. More than 30 authors have participated at libraries across the
state, and audiences are estimated at more than 7,500 for this year.
Served as the contact point for people who wish to obtain their OED (high school equiva­lency).
Worked with the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition and the Oklahoma Educational
Television Authority for this program.
Planned and conducted "Romance in the Stacks" program designed to bring 25 romance
authors and 50 librarians together for the purpose of planning programs in libraries across the
state.
Worked to bring National Young Reader's Day to Oklahoma, where more than 9,000
elementary school students visited the Myriad on November 10, 1992 to celebrate reading.
The event was billed as "the biggest pep rally for reading ever." The Center for the Book in
the Library of Congress is one of the national sponsors for the annual National Young
Reader's Day. Students who joined in the event to celebrate reading were entertained by
comedian Argus Hamilton and former Miss America Jane Jayroe, magicians, storytellers,
singers and dancers. Oklahoma Education Television Authority broadcast the program across
the state and beamed it to satellite for airing by more than 100 PBS affiliates and cable.
systems across the United States. Estimated audience for the program was 17 million.
Information regarding membership in the Oklahoma Center for the Book
is available at the registration table; or call 1-800-522-8116.
Proceeds from tonight's book sales will benefit the Oklahoma Center for the Book.