Oklahoma Book Awards March 5, 1994
Welcome
to the Fifth Annual
Oklahoma Book Awards
National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center
Oklahoma City
N. Scott Momaday
recipient oj the
1994 Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award
On February 27, 193~, in Lawton, Oklahoma, Navarre Scott Momaday
was born, the son of Alfred Morris, a painter and teacher of art, and Mayme
Natachee, a Kiowa teacher and writer. He lived in Oklahoma during his
childhood years, later earned an undergraduate degree at the University of
New Mexico, and a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.
Having previously taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara;
University of California, Berkeley; and Stanford University, Momaday is
currently professor of English at the University of Arizona in Tucson where
he has been since 1982.
Momaday is a trustee of the Museum of the American Indian in New York
City and a consultant to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the
National Endowment for the Arts. He is a member of the Modem Language
Association of America, the American Studies Association and the Gourd
D~ce Society of the Kiowa Tribe.
Many prizes have been awarded to Mr. Momaday, including the Academy
of American Poets Prize, a Guggenheim fellowship, a National Institute
of Arts and Letters grant, a Western Heritage Award, and, in 1969, the
Pulitzer Prize for fiction for House Made of Dawn.
In addition to his literary art, Scott Momaday is, like his father, an
accomplished visual artist. He illustrated The Gourd Dancer, a book of his
poems, and creates work for other exhibitions.
Of his Kiowa heritage and Oklahoma birthplace, Momaday has said,
"Growing up on the reservations of the Southwest, I saw people who were
deeply involved in their traditional life, in the memories of their blood. They
had as far as I could see, a certain strength and beauty that I fmd missing in
the modem world at large. I like to celebrate that involvement in my writing."
1994 Oklahoma Book Awards
A Celebration o/Oklahoma Books andAuthors
Welcoll1e ....... . .. . .... . ....... . . . ...... . . .... .. . ... . . . ... .... .. . David Clark
. President, Oklahoma Center for the Book
Comments . ...... .. .. . ... ~ ...... . ........ . .. . . . .. . ........... .. . . ... John Cole
Executive Director, Library of Congress Center for the Book
Master of Ceremonies . . .......... .. . .. ......... . .......... . .. . . Daniel Blanchard
Past-President, Oklahoma Center for t4e Book
Special Award . ..... .. .... . .. . . . .. . .. . ... ... . .... . presented by Robert L. Clark, Jr.
Director, Oklahoma Department of Libraries
Poetry Award . ..... . . . ..... . .. . ............ . .......... presented by Frank Parman
Writer and Publisher
Non-fiction Award . .......... . . . ... .. ........ . ...... . .. presented by BJ. Williams
Television Programming Coordinator, Metropolitan Library System
Children/Young Adrilt Award . ..... .. .... . ........ . .. .. presented by Christy Chilton
Branch Librarian, Tulsa City-County Library System
DesignlIliustration Award .. .. .. . . . . . ................ presented by Jeanne M. Devlin
Editor, Oklahorrlll Today Magazine
Fiction A ward . . . . . . . . . ....... .. ....... . .. .. ....... presented by Judith Henry Wall
Novelist
Interpretive Sign Language . .. . . ..... .. ... . .. performed by Nancy Tsoodle H1Jtchinson
Kiowa
Lifetime Achievement Award . .. .... . ... . ...... . . . . presented by James R. Tolbert, III
Owner, Full Circle Books
Announcements . ......... . ... ...... . . .. .. .. .. ... . .... . .. . . . ...... Ann Hamilton
Executive Director, Oklahoma Center for the Book
1994 Oklahoma Book Award Finalists
nCTION------------------~----------________________ __
Hungry Men by Edward Anderson
Originally published during the depression era, Hungry Men, by the late Edward Anderson,tells the story
of Acel Stecker, an unemployed musician from Oklahoma. Mr. Anderson, who spent most of his life as
a journalist, wrote two novels. Hungry Men is an "attack upon the Establishment that harassed those outof-
luck Americans who had to take to the road to survive." Mr. Anderson was a native of Weatherford.
Deadly Justice by William Bernhardt
Mr. Bernhardt obtained his law degree at the University of Oklahoma, and since 1986 has been a trial
attorney in Tulsa In 1993, he was selected by the American Bar Association's Barrister magazine as one
of the top twenty young lawyers in the nation. Deadly Justice is his fourth novel.
Double Fault by Jack Bickham
The guiding force behind the University of Oklahoma's professional writing program, Jack Bickham is
retired from the University's journalism department. A member of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of
Fame, he has published more than 65 novels. Several of his books have been made into motion pictures.
Firesticks by Diane Glancy
Ms. Glancy is professor of English at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and has won awards for
her poetry, fiction and non-fiction. She was an Artist-in-Residence from 1983 to 1988 with the State Arts
Council of Oklahoma.
Dead Man's Island by Carolyn G. Hart
Carolyn G. Hart is the author of eight "Death on Demand" mysteries for which she has won many awards
including an Agatha, ~ Anthony and a Macavity. Dead Man's Island is the first book in a new mystery
series. Mrs. Hart, who has been called "America's Agatha Christie," lives in Oklahoma City.
Water Boy by Gary Reiswig
Mr. Reiswig was born in Texas, grew up in Oklahoma, and has lived in South Dakota, Illinois, Indiana,
Pennsylvania, and currently in New York. He has been a farmer, preacher, mental health worker, day care
administrator, university professor, city planner, and innkeeper. Water Boy is his first book.
The Next Victim by William Sllnders
Mr. Sanders, who lives in Tahlequah, has written fourteen books, including sports and outdoor topics, .
science fiction and mysteries. The Next Victim is the first in a series of mysteries set in Oklahoma. Kirkus
Reviews calls it "a tidy double swallow that goes down as smooth and easy as a shot of Jim Beam."
The Down Home Heifer Heist by Eve K. Sandstrom
Mrs. Sa.'ldstrom is a columnist and former reporter and editor. A fourth-generation Oklahoman, she lives
in Lawton. "A crackerjack new series featuring the dusty, wheat-growing, cattle-raising, oil-drilling,
oven-hot state of Oklahoma," says Kirkus Reviews. This is her third novel.
The Iron Men by Leonard Scott .
Col. Leonard Scott is the author of several novels including the bestselling The Expendables. A Vietnam
War veteran, Scott's combat decorations include the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. In The Iron Men,
Scott "brings Cold War Berlin to vivid life." He resides in Edmond.
NONFICTION
Prisoner of the Rising Sun by William A. Berry and James Edwin Alexander
Retired Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Judge Berry received a Bronze Star for bravery for his
service in World War II. This book is Berry's first-hand account of escaping a Japanese POW camp, being
recaptured, and living to tell of his experiences. Dr. Alexander is a professor at Oklahoma City University.
Return to Bethel by E. Whitson Brooks
This book is the continuation of the story begun in A Place Called Bethel, about a small Oklahoma town
in the 20s and 30s. Mr. Brooks served many years as Director of the Farmers Home Administration in
South Carolina, where he currently resides.
3rd Down and Forever by J. Brent Clark
Mr. Clark, an attorney in Oklahoma City, attended Oxford University and received his law degree from
the University of Oklahoma. A proponent of athlete's rights, Clark has written frequently on the
psychology of sport Kirkus Reviews calls 3rd Down and Forever, the story of American football hero Joe
Don Looney, "one of the best-and most fascinating-sports bios in y.ears."
Bareback! One Man's Journey Along the Pony Express Trail by Jerry Ellis
Mr. Ellis, an Alabama native, is a playwright, author, and folk artist. This is his second book. His first,
Walking t~e Trail, is about the Cherokee Trail of Tears, and his next book will be about his journey along
the route of Sherman's March to the Sea. Keep walking, Jerry!
NaDs, Communists, Klansmen, and Others on the Fringe: Political Extremism in America
by John George and Laird Wilcox
John George is a professor of political science and sociology at the University of Central Oklahoma. He
is considered one of the nation's foremost experts on political extremist movements. Wilcox is founder
of the Wilcox Collection of Contemporary Political Movements, housed at the University of Kansas.
Quanah Parker, Comanche Chief by William T. Hagan
William Hagan is professor of history at the University of Oklahoma. His previous books include United
States-Comanche Relations and The Sac and Fox Indians. In reviews, this book has been called "the best
biography of Quanah Parker in print ... Hagan does much to separate the man from the myth and put this
Comanche leader in a proper historical perspective."
Mankiller: A Chief and Her People by Wilma Mankiller and Michael Wallis
Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation since 1985, Mankiller's story details the dawning of the Native
American civil rights struggle and how the genesis of that movement mirrored her own search for meaning
and balance as a woman of two cultures. Co-author Wallis, a biographer and chronicler of the West and
its traditions, lives in Tulsa.
Way Down Yonder in the Indian Nation by Michael Wallis
Bestselling author Michael Wallis has written many books about Oklahoma and the West, includingR oute
66: The Mother Road and Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd. Reviewers say
"Wallis's writing touches your heart without pretense. It's lyrical and earthy at the same time."
Will Rogers: A Biography by Ben Yagoda .
An assistant professor of English and a member of the journalism program at the University of Delaware,
Mr. Yagoda has served as a movie critic for the Philadelphia Daily News and as an editor at Philadelphia
magazine. He has written for Esquire, American Heritage, GQ, and The New Republic.
DESIGNIILLUSTRATION ------------------
The Route 66 Cookbook Designed by Carol Haralson
A familiar name in the Oklahoma Book Award proglam, Ms. Haralson won the 1991 Oklahoma Book
Award for Cleora's Kitchens, and the 1993 award for Will Rogers: Courtship and Correspondence. She
has been a book designer for more than 10 years and was formerly the director of publications at the
Philbrook Museum of Art.
Fish Story Illustrated by Deloss McGraw
Mr. McGraw is a Okemah native now living in San Marcos, California. He studied art at California State
University and the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. His work has been exhibited widely and hangs
in the Cincinnati Art Museum, at Harvard University, in the Library of Congress, and in the New York
Public Library. McGraw dedicated this book to Mrs. Dill and the Okemah Public Library.
Uncle Carmello Illustrated by Lyle Miller
Mr. Miller's career in, illustration began in kindergarten in Montgomery, Alabama. In school, ,he was
always the classroom artist. Since graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine
Arts degree, he has illustrated a number of books for children. His illustrations have also appeared in many
magazines. He now lives in Dallas.
Return to Bethel Illustrated by Jean Richardson
Born in Hollis, Oklahoma, painter Jean Richardson is included in Who's Who in American Art and Who's
Who in the,south ahd Southwest. Her paintings are part of the State Collection of Oklahoma Artists. Her
work has been published in many art magazines and has been exhibited in New York City, Chicago,
Atlan~, Santa Pe, Vail, Aspen, and internationally in Canada, Hong,Kong and Australia . .
Mansion Fare Cookbook, The CulilUJry Herimge o/Oklahoma's Governors
Designed by Rhonda Walters and Leslie Holcomb; photographs by David Fitzgerald and Jim' Argo
First Lady Rhonda Walters presents a wonderful glimpse into the Governor's Mansion, itS past and
present, and changes it has undergone since it was built in 1928. Offering historical information and
anecdotes by former Oklahoma First Ladies, this book celebrates the heritage of the Oklahoma
Governor's Mansion from the kitchen of those who love it.
POETRY------------~--------~------~----~--~~--~
Flight/rom.Valhalla by Michael J. Bugeja
Mr. Bugeja has more than 350 poems published and five book-length poetry collections. He has written
five non-fiction books including The Art and Craft of Poetry published by Writer's Digest Books. He has
received a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and a National Endowment for the Humanities
grant He teaches ethics at the University of Ohio, and from 1979 until 1987 he taught at Oklahoma State
University ..
Present or Accounted For by Manly Johnson
Manly Johnson, a former wrestler and a World War II veteran, earned his Ph.D. and taught in the English
Department'at the University of Michigan. He studied writing at Johns Hopkins Univer~ity, where he
worked as associate editor of the Hopkins Review and as a writing instructor. He currently lives in Tulsa
and is the editor of the literary magazine Nimrod.
An Eagle Nation by Carter Revard
A native Oklahoman and part Osage. Carter Revard grew up near Bartlesville. He attended a one-room
grade school and went on to graduate from high school. the University of Tulsa. Oxford (on Rhodes
scholarship) and Yale. In addition to his books. Mr. Revard has had numerous poems published in literary
magazines and anthologies. .
CHILDREN/YOUNG ADUt T
A Taste of Smoke by Marion Dane Bauer
Ms. Bauer earned her B.A. degree from the University of Oklahoma and has lived in various parts of the
state. She is the author of several middle-grade novels including On My Honor. a Newbery Honor Book.
Land of the Thundering Herds by Justin Denzel
In response to our invitation to attend the Oklahoma Book Award ceremony. Mr. Denzel wrote. "I am
getting close to ~ighty. with all its attending ailments. and each year I find it increasingly difficult to travel.
Fortunately my mental faculties have remained alert and I can still write books and anticipate all the
wonderful letters from kids around the country. I'm truly grateful for that."
If Anything Ever Goes Wrong at the Zoo by Mary Jean Hendrick
Ms. Hendrick spends much of her time teaching school and running a music studio. and she and her family
host an ever-changing menagerie of animals at their h~me in Choctaw. This is her first book.
Cherokee Summer by Diane Hoyt~G.oldsmith
The art director of Square Moon Productions. a book design and packaging company. Ms. Hoyt-Goldsmith
lives with her husband and two children in Orinda. California. This book tells about a young Cherokee girl
named Bridget and her life in Tahlequah. including ~istory and traditions of the Tribe.
Why Buffalo Roam by L. Michael Kershen
Born on January 17. 1982. Michael is the youngest author in the Oklahoma Book Award competition. He
likes reading. geography. computers. and school. Like many young people he loves sports. especially
soccer. baseball ~d hockey. When he grows uP. he wants to earn a degree in marine biology or medicine.
play professional soccer and write books. .
The Thirteen Hours of Halloween by Dian Curtis Regan
Ms. Regan began writing for children several years ago. A former teacher and an Oklahoma Artist-inResidence.
sh~ is active in writers' organizations and was named 1993 Member of the Year hy the National
Society of Children' s Book Writers and Illustrators.
The Earliest Americans by Helen Roney Sattler
Mrs. Sattler taught elementary school and was a children • s librarian before beginning her writing career
with stories for her children. She is the respected author of more than thirty natural history books for
children. Mrs. Sattler lived in Bartlesville until her death in 1992. She won the Oklahoma Book Award
in 1990 for Tyrannosaurus Rex and His Kin.
Never Say Quit by BiU WaUace
Bill Wallace. a native of Chickasha. h8l! written several novels for children. including many award
winners. Formerly an elementary school principal. he began telling stories to his students. Two of his
books, A Dog Called Kitty and Beauty. are winners of the Sequoyah Children' s Book Award.
The Oklahoma Center for the Book wishes to thank the judges
for the 1994 competition. They were:
Doug Bentin
Janet Brooks
David Clark
Evelyn Davis
Bettie Estes-Rickner
Kathryn Fanning
Robert Finch
Karyn Gilman
Danney Goble
Carol Hamilton
James Herring
Julie Hovis
Ann Hunt
Ken Jackson
Kelly Jennings
Mary McAnally
Steve McConnell
Suzanne Mounger
Donna Norvell
Byron Price
Ron Robinson
A.P. Samuels
Jim Starr
Kathryn Jenson White
William R. Young
The Oklahoma Center for the Book acknowledges the generous contributions
of the following organizations and individuals:
Barna Pies, Tulsa
Best of Books, Edmond
Bollinger's Books, Oklahoma City
Lee Brawner, Oklahoma City
Council Oak Books, Tulsa
Full Circle Books, Oklahoma City
John Kirkpatrick
National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center
Neustadt Charitable Foundation, Ardmore
Oklahoma Department of Libraries, Office of Public Infonnation .
Oklahoma Independent Booksellers Association
Pier 1 Imports
Ida Sutton Williams, Ardmore
Very special thanks to the chair of the ceremony committee:
UzCodding
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
1993, Rilla Askew, Strange Business
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
1993, Henry Bellmon and Pat Bellmon, The Life and Times of Henry Bellmon;
and Daniel Boorstin, The Creators
Poetry/Playwriting: .
1990, William Kistler, The Elizabeth Sequence
1992, Carol Hamilton, Once the Dust
1993, Jim Barnes, The Sawdust War
Design/Illustration:
1990, David E. Hunt, The Lithographs of Charles Banks Wilson
1991, Carol Haralson, Cleora's Kitchens
1992, Joe Williams, Woolaroc
1993, Carol Haralson, Will Rogers: Courtship and Correspondence;
and Kandy Radzinski, The Twelve Cats of Christmas
Children/Young Adult:
1990, Helen Roney Sattler, Tyrannosaurus Rex and His Kin
1991, Stan Hoig, A Capitolfor the Nation
1992, Jess & Bonnie Speer, Hillback to Boggy
1993, Anna Myers, Red Dirt Jessie
A"ell Gibson Lifetime Achievement A ward:
1990, 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
1993, Harold Keith, Newbery Award Winning Children's Author, Norman
Oklahoma Center for the Book
Officers and Board of Directors
Da vid 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.
Laurie Sundborg is secretary. Mrs. Sundborg is branch librarian at West Regional Library, a part
of the Tulsa City-County Library System.
Anne Luthey, also of Tulsa, is treasurer. Mrs. Luthey is a director of the Arts and Humanities
Council of Tulsa, Tulsa Opera, Inc., and the Tulsa English-Speaking Union.
The Oklahoma Center for the Book is a non-profit, 501-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 30-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
RobertL. Clark, Jr., Oklahoma City
Liz Codding, Oklahoma City
Aarone Corwin; Midwest City
Phil Dessauer, Tulsa
Lennie Draper, Norman
Barbara Duld, Claremore
Sonja Fowler, Oklahoma City
Ann Ha."Ililton, 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
Kenneth Tracy, Tulsa
William R. Young, Oklahoma City
Gerry Willingham, Oklahoma City
Highlights of Oklahoma Center
for the Book Projects 1993/1994
During the past year, the Oklahoma Center for the Book has conducted or is currently
involved in the following projects:
In early 1993, the Oklahoma Center for the Book's 4th Annual Book Award program was
very active: finalists in each of the five categories were named and arrangements made for those
20 authors to attend the awards dinner at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. At the ceremony,
Newbery winner Harold Keith was honored with the Arrell Gibson Lifetime Achievement
Award, Rilla Askew was honored with the fiction award, Henry and Pat Bellmon shared the nonfiction
award with Daniel Boorstin, Anna Myers received the children/young adult award, Jim
Barnes received the poetry award, and Carol Haralson and Kandy Radzinski were honored in the
design/illustration category.
In April, Oklahoma authors Gordon Weaver and Mike McQuay were featured in a program
at the Tahlequah Public Library. They spoke about their work, read and signed autographs for
those in attendance.
The Oklahoma Center for the Book co-sponsored the National Young Reader's Day
celebration at the Kirkpatrick Center Omniplex (Oklahoma City) in November. More than 600
Oklahoma 3rd graders from across the state attended.
Also in 1993, the Oklahoma Center was notified by the Center for the Book in the Library
of Congress it would receive a $7,500 grant to produce programs and a literary map of the state.
These satellite programs will be conducted during, April and May 1994 in Enid, Elk City,
Shawnee and Sapulpa, and the literary map will be available in April. These activities will
culminate with the opening of a large exhibit called "Language of the Land: Journeys into
Literary America" which will open in early August at Quail Springs Mall in Oklahoma City. The
exhibit was produced by the Library of Congress.
The Center has created and is maintaining database and information files about hundreds of
Oklahoma authors through an on-going survey project and clipping services. This list is available
to librarians and teachers across the state to serve Oklahoma students of all ages, in addition to
promoting the work of the authors who appear on the list.
continued
The Center was represented at Idea Exchange Day in Washington, DC, designed to provide
opportunities for state center directors to share infonnation about reading and literacy programs
and ways of promoting the literary arts and the use of libraries.
Additionally, mailings to more than 200 libraries across the state were prepared, promoting
the work. of Oklahoma authors and encouraging libraries to bring authors to the libraries for
autographing and lectures.
Another library programming opportunity planned by the · Center and the Oklahoma
Department of Libraries for 1994 includes 10 grants ($300 each) to bring Oklahoma Book Award
winners and/or finalists to libraries across the state.
Information regarding membership in the Oklahoma Center for the Book
i~ available at the registratWn table; or call 1-800-522-8116.
Proceeds from tonight's book sales will benefit the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
