Billie Letts Visits the Oklahoma Panhandle

Popular Oklahoma author, Billie Letts, visited the Oklahoma Panhandle, Saturday, October 9, 2004. Marvin E. McKee Library, Evlyn Schmidt, Director, and the Guymon Public Library, Rachel Sides, Director, sponsored the event along with the Oklahoma Humanities Council, Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma. Billie was flown to Guymon on a private plane, met at the airport by a limousine and whisked away to Yesterday's Time Diner where she discussed her novel,"The Honk and Holler Opening Soon," and writing about Oklahoma and it's people.

"Win Lunch with Billie Letts" contest entries were submitted to the Guymon Public Library through September 27, 2004. The writers who entered the contest penned a notable first line for a possible novel written by Billie Letts and set in the Oklahoma Panhandle. The entries were judged on originality and how the description drew an authentic mental picture of the panhandle. The winner, Elaina Stewart, a librarian and instructor at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, rode in the limousine and had lunch with Billie prior to the public meeting. The winning entry from Ms Stewart was:

"Those of us from the panhandle know that our sunsets are worth a thousand words. Also, that our weather and stark temperatures help make us who we are--granite hard people with character. I have written a sentence to describe that sacred time of day when all of us look at the magnificent prairie sunset---we can see it coming for an eternity!"

Another sunset sky slammed into the pitch-black Panhandle horizon, pausing slightly for a breath of hot wind that would be a cool mesa breeze in no time.

Representatives of Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Libraries accompanied Ms Letts and all expressed delight at the warm reception and friendliness of the panhandle fans.