Amy Cottingham
Amy Cottingham sings, composes, arranges, transcribes, teaches and performs classical and jazz music. She performs
Jeremy Luther
Filter / Sort
Poetic Tulsa
When I first came to Tulsa 53 years ago, I had little thought about poetry. In my arms was a ten-day old baby, on my
Francine Ringold
Goose Dragoo
Michael "Goose" Dragoo is a longtime Tulsa drummer and vocalist in such acts as Soul Avengers and Jazzbos. In
Grant McClintock
Original Okie: Dan Mayo
Dan Mayo is a painter, photographer, producer and art collector in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In this special True Tulsa double
Grant McClintock
Bill Rabon
Tulsa-based artist Bill Rabon is an abstract painter, latter-day bohemian, and Vagabond muse. He is represented in
Grant McClintock
The Genesis of Vagabond
In the early 1970s, Tulsa delivered two of the world’s most promising young photographers, Larry Clark and Gaylord
Grant McClintock
Alpha and Omega
I don’t remember life before fishing, and that’s fine with me, from what I’ve been told of it. Much of my infancy
Grant McClintock
Sci-Fi’s Tough Guy
Descending by car into the flaccid Florida peninsula on I-95 can make a bull rider reach for a Valium. Cars, trucks,
Grant McClintock
Tent Makers and Prophets
Not all prophets operated with the same proclivities, and so Pentecostal and Baptist officials faced distinct
Darren Dochuck
Devil’s Advocate
Mary McAnally poses no immediate threat. Most of her peers are at constant rest in the twilight of their lives, and her
Sarah Fonder
Chris and Hannah Middlebrook
“As a child I was a little afraid of clowns,” Steven Cater admitted while awaiting Clonky’s arrival at his son
Anna Kathleen Casey
A Burn Scar in the Shape of the Sooner State
In August 2011, I left a desirable internship and sublet in San Francisco for Tulsa and law school. The first
Pierce Smith
Letter from Borneo: The Land Beneath the Wind
I have been on a path the last few months directed by the winds. Following signs, much like a scavenger hunt, that lead
Erin Turner
The Snake and the Diamond are One
Most people dread the thought of prison. Claustrophobia, confinement, artificial and controlled light sources,
Erin Turner
‘Til the Cows Come Home
India is a country of convergences, contradictions, ancient memory, and prolific examinations of the senses. There is
Erin Turner
Desiderata
In the valley the treetops are bandaged in a dirty gauze the fields lusty with flames set to startle another growing
Justin L. Bond
Hook, Line, and Stringtown
While traveling Route 75, I’ve passed by an unassuming little shack hundreds of times. Years ago, when my dad and I
Jenny Sullivan
Pairings
The taste of red wine and dark chocolate Swirlin’ together inside my mouth is Like smoke escaping from the
Jenny Sullivan
The Hand of Man
On a recent Tuesday morning, around 36 8-year-olds and I were watching a bright yellow longhorn cowfish bob around its
Ginger Strand
Holy Frack
It started with just a few tremors. Then a few more. Then it seemed like a swarm, each one following thick and fast on
Ginger Strand
Drive-By Truckers
In the years since the interstate era began, the proportion of freight going over the road has steadily increased.
Ginger Strand
Troubled Waters, Part 1
This is the first installment of a three-part series about Oklahoma's water wars, starting with the edition of This
Ginger Strand
Troubled Waters, Part II
Oklahoma's Water Wars Pit the City Versus the Country, the State Against the Tribes. While the Parties Do Battle in
Ginger Strand
Troubled Waters III: Balancing Act
This is the third installment of a three-part series about Oklahoma's water wars, starting with the edition of This
Ginger Strand
Texas: Grasping at Straws
The case gave Justice Kagan a headache. Justice Ginsburg described parts of it as “sketchy,” and Justice Breyer
Ginger Strand
Kurt Vonnegut’s Oklahoma Eden
On a warm day in December, Woolaroc ranch hands are rounding up the bison for the annual inspection and culling. A
Ginger Strand
Reader, Meet Author
Not that it happens very often, but when asked who my favorite contemporary writer is, I always split it down the
Robert Dumont
Bearden Unbound
“I wonder if Dave Bearden still dislikes me.” —Ted Berrigan, The Sonnets LXXVI David Omer Bearden was born in
Robert Dumont
A Portis Reader
Nobody re-reads better than Charles Portis. In fact, nobody re-re-reads better than Portis. Thus, having his
Robert Dumont
Silkwood
When Richard Rashke’s The Killing of Karen Silkwood was published in 1981, it was a groundbreaking, whistle-blowing
Sarah Denton
Carlos Knight
In this feature, our social media editor Vicki May Thorne meets and greets the staff and contributors of
Vicki May Thorne
MEET: Stuart Hetherington
In this ongoing feature, our social media editor Vicki May Thorne meets and greets the staff and contributors of This
Vicki May Thorne
MEET: Jeremy Luther
In this ongoing feature, our social media editor Vicki May Thorne meets and greets the staff and contributors
Vicki May Thorne
MEET: Dustin Brasel
As one of the members of our all-star sales team, Dustin keeps This Land close to heart and mind. He's a natural
Vicki May Thorne
Jazz on a Diamond-Needle Hi-Fi
Mama dropped the needle and my heart jumped. It was fascinating, titillating, be-boppin’, foot stompin’, traffic
Deborah J. Hunter
Tigress: The Life and Times of Kathryn Kelly
They were mostly dead by then, the girlfriends, mothers, and wives of the 1930s era gangsters who once dominated front
Laurence J. Yadon
Blind Spot
“I’ve been arrested!” Gasko croaked over the cell phone as the FBI agents watched his every move. Seconds
Laurence J. Yadon
Where’s the Money?
Freddie smiled to himself as he drove past the country club and turned into his Southern Hills neighborhood after
Laurence J. Yadon
The Making of Miss Hornet
I’ve been teaching high school social studies for 18 years, so it’s hard for me to be shocked by the behavior of
John Waldron
The Frozen Zone
There is a wonderful yet horrifying scene at the end of The Grey Zone, Tim Blake Nelson’s harrowing film about the
Brian Schwartz
At Melville’s Birthplace
Everybody who was in NYC that day has a story to tell. I was supposed to report to work at the New York Public
Bob Dumont
Shoes Without Laces
Eldon Dykes’ father arrived on Sunday nonstop Greyhound bus from Oklahoma for a visit Next morning after
Wilma Elizabeth McDaniel
Tate Brady, the Magic City, and the Dreamland
Tate Brady, as Lee Roy Chapman points out, did a lot of good for Tulsa, but the positives came with lots of negatives.
Alfred L. Brophy
A Conspiracy of Silence
The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 made national headlines on June 1 of this year, its 90th anniversary. Tulsa quietly
J. Kavin Ross
Heaven Just Got Funkier
When you witness God-given musical gifts, those moments are forever frozen in your memory. On Monday, August 19, Duke
J. Kavin Ross
Nelson Mandela’s Friend in Tulsa
The year 2013 ended with the world mourning for South Africa’s first black president, Nelson “Madiba” Mandela,
J. Kavin Ross
Redbirds on Greenwood
As many seek knowledge of what happened in Tulsa during its formative years, I am in search of the history of my
J. Kavin Ross
To the Knights of Liberty
This verse appeared on the front page of the Tulsa Daily World on November 15, 1917. EDITOR’S NOTE: “The tarring
F.L. Lanford
Our Town
Our town typically names streets, schools, sometimes-entire neighborhoods and commercial districts after people who
James O. Goodwin
True Hero
The true hero of the Tulsa Riots was A.J.Smitherman who preached law and order and condemned the mob. He was editor of
Ishmael Reed
The Tender of the Flames
I bartend at a pub constructed predominantly of wood. We don’t do flaming Dr Peppers, Spanish coffees, or any other
Laura Carrera
The Greatest of Ease
When he was 22—old enough to know better— Anton Von Ostendorf ran away with the circus. A gymnast, ballet
Holly Wall
Lost Olinka
One of Oklahoma’s great mysteries, either unknown to or ignored by most of its populace, is what became of a
Holly Wall
The World is Yours: A Portrait of Joe Brainard
Joe Brainard made art the way some might obsess over a lover: in an all-consuming frenzy and for hours on
Holly Wall
Inside the ‘Guide’
I’d heard murmurs of Uptown News for years. I wasn’t familiar with the publication, but folks would ask me about
Holly Wall
The Alternatives: A Lineup of Oklahoma’s Other Voice
Though alternative journalism traces its roots to the muckrakers of the early 1900s, the alternative newsweekly as we
Holly Wall
The Oddities of Evangelism
After he slew his enemy—a warrior in another tribe who killed his brother and was, according to ritual, justly
Holly Wall
Beau and Stefanie Leland
Beau and Stefanie Leland made a connection before they ever met. Stefanie was an extra in a feature-length film Beau
Holly Wall
Plugging the Brain Drain
Seven years ago, a group of 20- and 30-somethings set out to infuse Tulsa with "a new kind of energy." And they did.
Holly Wall
Headlining the Hippodrome
The architect, like a divine creator surveying six days of work, righteously declared that the boxy, beige, concrete
Holly Wall
The Catfish Hunter
I stepped carefully into a small, black bass boat with four near strangers, one of them offering his hand to guide
Holly Wall
Rocket to the Moon
Jim Bridenstine leaned back in a swivel desk chair, a green flight jacket zipped over his dress shirt and tie, the wall
Holly Wall
The World is Yours: a Portrait of Joe Brainard
Joe Brainard made art the way some might obsess over a lover: in an all-consuming frenzy and for hours on
Holly Wall
Secrets of the Dust Bowl Digs
Years ago, buried beneath the University of Oklahoma football stadium, there was once an underground concrete cave,
Holly Wall
Dealing With Brady’s Legacy
Editor's note: The following news analysis article represents a deeper level of commitment to community news coverage.
Holly Wall
Snakes on a Plain
I stood shaking in the center of a wooden 9-by-12-foot pit, surrounded on all sides by about 250 western diamondback
Holly Wall
The Tiger King Untamed
“Hang on, I’m gonna go out there and throw up.” Near the end of our first hour-long interview, Joe Exotic, a.k.a.
Holly Wall
Especially the Zebras
Two giant Aldabra tortoises with wide dark eyes are on the move around their scrubby domain. The front one stops. Not
Amy Leach
Center of the Universe
Something goes on here, the echo magic. We step over the spot and echoes bounce from our voices. The warehouse,
Ann Zoller
Kafka’s Nature Theatre of Oklahoma
Kafka called his unfinished novel The Man Who Disappeared. But the fact that nobody outside academia does so is
James Hawes
Critical Mass
Lifted their bikes up- side down above their thousand heads and cheered locked the grid blocked the
John Brehm
Prophecies: Right Here, Right Now
Today it’s a guy hawking prophecies on the 4 train. Strides into the car at the Brooklyn Bridge stop, white
John Brehm
Critical Mass
Lifted their bikes up- side down above their thousand heads and cheered locked the grid blocked the
John Brehm
Ashes to Ashes
Just outside Bokoshe, Oklahoma is a winding stretch of properties known as “the loop.” The land is heavily wooded
Gene Perry
A Week with the Boys
In May of 1919, Greek soldiers occupied the Ottoman province of Smyrna, in what is modern day Turkey. During the
Gene Perry
Robbers Cave Revisited
My first sight on entering Camp Tom Hale—three hours southeast of Tulsa, off County Road 249—was a white pickup
Gene Perry
Of All Places
His mother said it was Oklahoma that was making him nuts, blaming the whole state when the only place he ever went was
Lori Ostlund
Letter from San Francisco
They say that you should never follow a girl, but I did. I followed an Oklahoma peach to Oklahoma. She lured me out of
Jason D. Westenburg
Letter from the Pacific
“What ya thinking about?” Nick said with a yawn. “Oklahoma.” “Oklahoma? Why?” “Cuz, this reminds
Jason D. Westenburg
Woody Guthrie’s Social Gospel Roots
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was named in the summer of 1912 on a hope that his namesake would become President, and he did.
Larry Guthrie
The Purpose Is to Direct
“Even though the suspicion is probably not justified, it is hoped that the persevering reader will lay down the book
Larry Guthrie
The Red Shift
North of the Red River, in the “Land of the Red Man,” on the iron-rich red soil and matching dust, with red
Larry Guthrie
Land of Grand Librarians
Every day an imposing shadow strides across our nation’s capital from the largest library in the world. While the
Larry Guthrie
Building a Frog
Guide the scalpel with milk-wrinkled hands fine-honed point tracing delicate veins. Gently peel back transparent
John Wooley
Blood Cult
Bill Blair was a visionary. A longtime film collector and fan, he spent his early adult years primarily as an appliance
John Wooley
Another Kind of Endless Summer
Just as we were enduring week after blazing week of drought and conflagration and hell-worthy heat in our part of the
John Wooley
Vitriol Killed the Radio Star
These days, only the upper end of AARP qualifiers can remember it first hand. But there was a time, decades before the
John Wooley
What Happened, Man?
In reading over this gorgeous jumble of images and impressions, I can only wonder at how accurately they reflect the
John Wooley
Jesus in the Wichitas
His name was Kroger Babb. He made and relentlessly promoted a famous “hygiene film” called Mom and Dad, which was
John Wooley
American Radical
In Pampa, Texas, Guthrie lived through the catastrophe that would enable him to identify with many of the migrants he
Will Kaufman
Letter from Siberia
It was a pretty typical school trip, on the surface. A group of middle school students from Tulsa and Claremore, a few
Cecilia Whitehurst
Okies Smile at Strangers
Part I: New York, 1996 You drop out of college and move to New York, a place you’ve only seen in movies. You
Maya Sloan
Coming Home
On Interstate 35 north of Guthrie, driving through evening shadows I pass a rusting, stale green Chevy bouncing
Ken Hada
Sundown on the Blue River
White sun hangs just above the falls. You look upstream at cascading water immersed in sound, frozen by its
Ken Hada
Transcending the Curriculum
I arrived at Ada Junior High School 15 minutes early. I walked past the football team, heard the whistle shrilling, the
Ken Hada
Landscape
Pools of light illuminate the fine, faint under-painting: ghosts appear like a dirt road that ends in tall
Bill Turley
Shop
Rusted valves and pipes, sleeping gas lines, tables with saw blades rising to railway, vintage dust taking in streams
Bill Turley
The French Horn and the Fire Escape
(Written while listening to the Andrew Hill Quintet) The French horn strays, then joins with upside-down notes, the
Bill Turley
Dry Oklahoma
dry Oklahoma burns from Ponca to Tulsa green tip pushes through stalk fingering down to shit and char lily hood
Grant Matthew Jenkins
Two Poems by Grant Matthew Jenkins
Marks Along the river valley who hears the cry of the raptors? Will you avail yourself of the talents at your
Grant Matthew Jenkins