The Disappearance of Ford Beckman
Editor's note: On Tuesday, November 18, 2014, Ford Beckman, the subject of this story, died at his home in Tulsa. He
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Goodbye Kavek, Polar Bear at the Tulsa Zoo
Today we're republishing an episode of This Land Radio's precursor, Goodbye Tulsa. In this segment, Karen Dunn,
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Father of Fight Club
In 1945, an unassuming black man from Oklahoma City began constructing an intricate book inside a barn in Vermont.
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Behold the Sky
The first time was arbitrary. I was the only early-morning visitor in the art gallery, and a security guard beckoned to
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The Bottomless Ache of the Revolution
When I first saw him, Jose Antonio Pantoja Hernández was standing behind a display of several of his paintings. Just
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The Seeds of Corruption
The Tulsa Police Department is arguably the most embattled police force in the country. Rocked by a recent corruption
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Cultivating This Land
It’s been a longstanding Tulsa truism for artists: if you want to be successful, leave. At This Land Press, we’re
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Oklahoma’s First New Media Company
It's official: This Land Press is now Oklahoma's first New Media company, and we've just hired a veritable dream-team
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The Future of Writing is in my Jacket
The following article is excerpted from the book, The Late American Novel: Writers on the Future of Books
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An Obligation to Our Own
Beginning with Woody Guthrie, Oklahomans have a long and storied tradition of challenging authoritarianism. Guthrie
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The Building Downtown
A story is unfolding in Tulsa, right under your nose. It's about a building. You wouldn't know much about it if you
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Oil Oil Everywhere: Update on Affected Area
The image at left helps you appreciate the extent of the area affected by the BP Oil Spill Geyser. If you relocated
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An Open Letter to Our Readers
In April of this year, nearly thirty writers, artists, and thinkers collaborated on a publication with the hope that
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This Land First Edition Now Available
Our first edition is now available in Tulsa! You can pick up a copy for $2.00 at Dwelling Spaces in Downtown
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What if the Oil Spill Happened in Tulsa?
It's difficult to appreciate the surface area affected by the Gulf's BP Oil Spill--but it's shocking once you actually
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Tulsa Real Estate Not So Real
Photo: House on Main Street, Tulsa. By Dennis Leech. Last night, a federal tax credit for home buyers expired. The
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I.M. Pei’s Plan for OKC
In 1964, the renowned architect I.M. Pei created a 10x12 ft. model showing how downtown Oklahoma City might look in
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Narrative Lost and Found
Literary historians will look back at the late twentieth century as a dismal period in American literature because it
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Ernest Wiemann, Blacksmith
When Ernest Wiemann first opened his metalcraft business in 1940, he probably didn't anticipate that it would forge the
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Coleman Davis, Tulsa Teamster
There’s tough, and then there’s Teamster tough. With his tenacity and stubborn demeanor, C. Coleman Davis
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Wade Rouse at Equality Center
Wade Rouse, author of the comedic book At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream, poses for the camera prior to
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Grant Hastings, Inventor of Hasty Bake Charcoal Oven
There was once a time in America when summers didn’t automatically include grilling in the backyard, and then Grant
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Heather Harp Howland, Diva
During the day, Heather Harp Howland was the larger-than-life personality who operated the England & Harp antique
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Oral Roberts, Televangelist and University Founder
Tributes to Oral Roberts flooded the airwaves after his passing. His son Richard said that he received hundreds of
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Robert “Dr. Bob” Aikman, Obstetrician
With an estimated 27,000 baby deliveries during his career as a Tulsa obstetrician, it’s hard to believe that Robert
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Billy Joe Daugherty, Pastor
The website at Victory Christian Center said their pastor had “graduated.” Press releases noted his passing,
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Chet Baker – Jazz Trumpeter
His music is legendary throughout the world, but, like many other artists, hardly recognized at home. Chet Baker spent
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E.W. Redmond, The Kite Gypsy
Among kite enthusiasts, E.W. Redmond was a celebrated artist. But as his friend Pam Vrooman suggests, he had achieved a
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Michael Selvaggi, Founder of Mario’s NY Style Pizzeria
It was an inconspicuous place, a tiny little nook in a strip mall facing 51st Street. Then suddenly, around the noon
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Cheryl Benford, Educator
From the sounds of it, Cheryl Benford was the kind of teacher who transcended her career by embracing both the daily
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Josef Peter Hardt, Mr. Oktoberfest
You can’t live through October in Tulsa without someone asking you if you plan to attend Oktoberfest. Going on its
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Larry Dalton, Pianist
Tulsa has its hometown celebrities; Larry Dalton was certainly one of them. As a popular pianist, he was known for his
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Charles “Chuck” Schnake, Public Relations Visionary
You only need to take a quick look around Tulsa to see Chuck Schnake’s fingerprints. They’re on your PikePass, your
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Betsy Horowitz, Civic Activist
If you lived in Tulsa through the seventies and eighties, you either loved or hated Betsy Horowitz. Today, you’re
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Roger Swift, Barbershop Singer & Jazz Afficianado
If you look into the life and career of Roger B. Swift, you’ll a man of skill and accomplishment. He was a US Navy
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Bell’s Amusement Park
New York has its Coney Island; Tulsa had its Bell’s Amusement Park. Founded in 1951, Bell’s rapidly became the
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Robert Lucy, Committed Teacher
Community college occupies a strange place in our culture—it’s sort of an academic Limbo, a time and experience
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Laura Barnes, Middle School Teacher
Laura Barnes‘ life was filled with achievement and wonder. She was a much-adored teacher at Carver Middle
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Richard Belcher, Air Traffic Controller
Air traffic controllers are famously subjected to tremendous stress, but they may also be the most under-appreciated
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Gary Lee Hahn, Waiter at Brownie’s Hamburger Stand
People come and go. We are born and then we die. It’s a simple equation. But places are different. And the
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Kristine Dixon, Realtor and Poetry Enthusiast
Most Tulsans who knew Kristine Dixon probably remember her as a realtor for McGraw Davisson Stewart, but many of her
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Maurice Pianalto, Square Dance Caller
Maurice “Big Daddy” Pianalto. Auto mechanic. Italian. Okie. Square dance caller. Those few words are enough to make
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Bill Brown, Band Teacher & Jazz Musician
William Joseph “Bill” Brown was a musician and a music teacher, but to call him either is something of a misnomer.
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David MacKenzie, Anachronism
David MacKenzie was a fine arts critic and reporter for the Tulsa World who died in October of 2008. In this episode of
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William Z. Duncan, Tough Veteran, Kind Principal
His students adored him, but few of them would ever know that their principal, William “Burma Bill” Duncan was part
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Carl “Uncle Zeb’ Bartholomew, Children’s Show Host & Filmmaker
If you were raised in Tulsa in the seventies, the name “Uncle Zeb” probably carries a mythic quality. The Uncle Zeb
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