Letter from Cairo
I sit with sweat pouring down my back, the windows open to the hazy Cairo sky lined with minarets aglow. An unplanned
Hannah Cooper
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Poetry and the News
POETRY AND THE NEWS by Scott Gregory 1. There’s a long poem by William Carlos Williams (from late in his
Scott Gregory
Walking the Walk
When we walk–whenever we really walk, in an unhurried, unhassled way–we clear our heads, we get exercise, we
Scott Gregory
Handwritten Letter 1934 (a found poem)
Tulsa Okla. 10th April Mr. Henry Ford Detroit, Mich. Dear Sir. --- While I still have got breath in my
Scott Gregory
Circling Back and Forth
It is the first Saturday evening of November as I turn left into 11th Street. I am going to the movies where I will
Jacqueline Van Fleet
John Chick
John Chick is widely remembered by most Tulsans as the host of the children’s shows Cartoon Zoo and Mr. Zing and
Clara Nipper
Go Fast, Turn Left
I removed my contacts, washed off all the makeup, unbraided my hair, took off the bandages, slid the fishnets down my
Clara Nipper
Go Fast, Turn Left
I removed my contacts, washed off all the makeup, unbraided my hair, took off the bandages, slid the fishnets down my
Clara Nipper
Sex in the City
How well do any of us know our grandmothers? They are worthy of in-depth investigation, because behind the gentle,
Clara Nipper
Westward Whoa: Gay Cowpokes Saddle Up to Teach an Old Sport New Tricks
I’m sitting in the stands at the Sooner State Stampede amidst the smell of grain-fed cow manure and the clink-clank
Sheilah Bright
Letter from Bhutan
It’s not every day you find a four-foot penis painted on a house. When was the last time you stopped by a restaurant
Sheilah Bright
Just as I Was: Confessions of a Fallen Southern Baptist
I sprang from a deep well of Southern Baptist blood—crimson, of course. One of my most frightful childhood memories
Sheilah Bright
Gypsies, Tramps, and Me: Letter from India
At the end of a dusty day, we turned from the smooth comfort of good pavement and paused beneath a lone shade tree in
Sheilah Bright
Holy Crap
Shit happens every day. At least, it should. When it doesn’t, there’s a Seventh-Day Adventist in southeastern
Sheilah Bright
The Last of Kenton
I have been trying to tell the story of Kenton, the westernmost town in Oklahoma, since last November, when I
Sheilah Bright
The Burning Bush
In the aftermath of the Creek County fires—during another triple-digit stretch in an already parched Oklahoma—This
Sheilah Bright
Letter From: China
Mr. Lee and I stop to stare at jars of pickled vipers. The Sunday market crowd in old Kaili snakes a detour around the
Sheilah Bright
Opal Clark Moss
Opal Clark Moss, 101, grew up at the Sand Springs Children’s Home and published her first book at age 76. Last year,
Sheilah Bright
ORIGINAL OKIE: Officer Kaiser
Don't let Officer Kaiser's smile fool you. This Belgian Malinois is known on the Idabel Police Department as "the force
Sheilah Bright
Kaylin Haught
Kaylin Haught is an Oklahoma poet. She lives in Grove, in a house older than the state that's abbreviated on her mail.
Sheilah Bright
Lee Lyles
Lee Lyles of Sulphur, Oklahoma, forged a love for heavy metal as a kid and blazed a farrier career that earned him an
Sheilah Bright
Wilber Glasby
Wilber Glasby knows some folks think he’s a hoarder, but he sees cash value in his eight-acre junk-strewn kingdom in
Sheilah Bright
Horse Teeth and Heartbreak
Elbow deep inside the jaws of a stallion, Edye Lucas closes her eyes as her fingers explore a landscape of slivered
Sheilah Bright
Letter from New York
My Oklahoma heritage has been garnering a lot of attention since Oklahomans voted to ban Sharia law. The attention has
Carol Elk
Outlaws of the Library
I spend my days surrounded by books. A glorious, beautiful, maddening riot of books--hundreds of thousands of them at
Laura Raphael
Lost in Translation
When I was 14, I began a passionate love affair with William Faulkner. As you might expect in such an unusual
Laura Raphael
A Letter to Zach Harrington
Editor’s note: On September 28, 2010, Zach Harrington, 19 and a graduate of Norman North High School, attended a
Stephen Brower
Oklahoma Babylon
The room is dark, despite the noonday sun. Thick curtains have been pulled across the windows. Several people are lined
Joel Vandiver
Dreams of a Black Oklahoma: On the Trail of the Forgotten Okies of Alberta
At some point during Coach McBride’s four week long excursion into Oklahoma History, I figured out I could sleep on
Russell Cobb
South by Midwest: Or, Where is Oklahoma?
I'm not much of a Facebook person. Most of the time, I passively scroll through status updates while avoiding doing
Russell Cobb
Letter from South America
My wife was running out of makeup. “You should wait and get it in Buenos Aires,” I told her. “It’s the Paris
Russell Cobb
Continuous Present
“Not much is not enough.” -Bruce Goff Long before I found myself down the Bruce Goff rabbit hole, I lived in a
Russell Cobb
Where the Buffalo Drift
Maybe it was a gimmick, but I’d prefer to call it an experiment in semi-urban psychogeography: Walk as far as
Russell Cobb
Backwards Christian Soldier
Shortly after World War II, Billy James Hargis came barreling down from the Arkansas hills—all 6 foot 6 inches and
Russell Cobb
Confessions of a Designated Hitter
At first glance, the photos appear to tell the whole story. Here is Drake halfback/quarterback Johnny Bright,the first
Russell Cobb
Our Man in Colonia
The quandary began at check-in. The lady at the ticket counter was convinced Puerto Rico was a different country and I
Russell Cobb
Locker Room Confidential
Rob and I watched the scrimmage from the sidelines, helmets off. We weren’t getting any playing time, so why bother
Russell Cobb
Among the Tribe of the Wannabes
Let’s take a voyage to a not-so-distant land and visit a strange tribe. Or maybe not so strange. In fact, you may
Russell Cobb
Shalom, Ardmore
I went down to Ardmore looking for the last Jews in a town that could—if it were so inclined—lay claim to the title
Russell Cobb
Brave New Park
It’s one of those steam baths of a late August night. Cicadas are revving up their engines in the post oaks and
Russell Cobb
Tulsa’s Forgotten Creek Heritage
Excerpted from The Great Oklahoma Swindle: Race, Religion, and Lies in America’s Weirdest State by Russel Cobb by
Russell Cobb
The Dharmic Dirty Old Man
The following is an interview with Allen Ginsberg originally published by the University of Tulsa’s student newspaper
Jim Edwards
Driveway
Again I slid up over the horizon and the lights of Tulsa spread flat out before me. “Ah, there you are,” I
Ron Padgett
The Japanese Garden
In 1958 or ’59 when I was sixteen I came up with the idea of replacing my parents’ back yard with a Japanese
Ron Padgett
Driveway
Again I slid up over the horizon and the lights of Tulsa spread flat out before me. “Ah, there you are,” I
Ron Padgett
The Grapes of Wrath: A Red Dirt Reprise
In 1962, as John Steinbeck accepted the Nobel Prize for Literature in Sweden, George Girouard scoured Oklahoma creek
Steve Gerkin
Planet of the Mushrooms
When the tree leaves turn, some folks think of foliage tours. But Oklahoma foodies and chefs look earthward for the
Steve Gerkin
Zeppelin Tours Tulsa
Taken from the top of the Mayo of hotel, this 1929 photo depicts a 600-foot dirigible, the City of Los Angeles, as it
Steve Gerkin
No Phones, No Fools, No Frets: The J.J. Behind J.J.’s Gourmet Burger Café
J.J. Conley lounges against the cushions of a private room at Lucky’s. He studies his glass of Syrah and takes a sip.
Steve Gerkin
Cedar Street: Tulsa’s Proudest Thoroughfare
In the early 1970s, a twenty-two year-old Lebanese immigrant trekked down the sidewalks of Sixth Street from his West
Steve Gerkin
The Man in the Box, Revealed
Editor's note: For years, this photo of a KKK funeral has circulated among several photography collections in Tulsa,
Steve Gerkin
The Reign of Creepy
Dental records proved the badly decomposed body that washed up on the Crystal Beach shores of Ontario, minus hands and
Steve Gerkin
Electric to Eco Trolley: Champions of Tulsa Transportation
Sitting at the bar in Doe’s Eat Place, I gazed up Quincy Street daydreaming a nostalgic movie reel of an era gone by.
Steve Gerkin
Beno Hall: Tulsa’s Den of Terror
The monstrous, three-story, steel reinforced, stucco building towered along the western edge of Greenwood. It dominated
Steve Gerkin
The Ringleader
The Tulsa Underground Circus fictitiously wrote that it was the work of a deranged Russian immigrant, a circus clown
Steve Gerkin
The Trouble with Harry
Senator Thomas J. Walsh of Montana bent over the library table and peered down at witness Harry Ford Sinclair, “I
Steve Gerkin
Mood Swing
On a furlough from a California state prison, convicted wife killer spade Cooley walked off the stage of Oakland’s
Steve Gerkin
The Hills Have Eyes
I climbed the remnants of Standpipe Hill on a recent, windy, early morning with a Wal-Mart canvas chair and a cup of
Steve Gerkin
They Might Be Giants
Having finished a midday meal on their small kitchen stoves, a group of Native athletes walked from the
Steve Gerkin
The Ballad of Bob Kerr
The story of Robert S. Kerr begins in the sticks and ends in the stars. Born in a tiny, log cabin near the trading post
Steve Gerkin
Hay is for Hosses
Kelly Cox towered over the loader with its arriving bale, wielding a hay hook in each hand like a pirate of the plains,
Steve Gerkin
Diamond in the Rough
Diamond Dick Roland disappeared. Secreted out the door of the Tulsa County Jail into an awaiting car provided by
Steve Gerkin
Watts and Clary
Dressed only in his boxers, Wade Watts, a black civil rights activist, reclined on the sofa. He read the morning paper
Steve Gerkin
First Charged, Last Freed
John the Baptist moved to Tulsa in 1899. The Stradford family called him J. B. He was a former Kentucky slave who was
Steve Gerkin
Pushing the Sky
James “Robbie” Risner started life in rural Mammoth Springs, Arkansas, in the 1920s. His destitute family left the
Steve Gerkin
The Unlikely Baroness
The young black girl poses in a common, patterned dress by an ordinary side chair. Her shadow creates a ghostly
Steve Gerkin
Letter from Barcelona
I live in a flat just above the Arc de Triomf on Passieg de Sant Joan in Barcelona. It’s a white-on-white
Milo DePrieto
The Demons
Sing with me, sing for the year, sing for the laughter and sing for the tears. —Aerosmith, “Dream On” Tommy
Eddie Chuculate
Highs and Lows in Brady Heights
Miss Anne lifts a rainbow-colored scarf from the small cage sitting on the picnic table in her backyard. Angry black
Michael Berglund
Mr. Ray Fits a Suit
When I walk into Ray’s Tailor Shop, I immediately notice the ordered disorder of the two-room store. Directly in
Michael Berglund
Mr. Ray Fits a Suit
When I walk into Ray’s Tailor Shop, I immediately notice the ordered disorder of the two-room store. Directly in
Michael Berglund
Letter from Phoenix
Growing up in Guymon, OK, I always longed to be someplace else. Since the town rested in the remote northwest corner of
Darren Ingram
A Meditation on Metaphors
If you go online and look up “bad metaphors and similes,” here are a few examples you’re likely to
Darren Ingram
Westhope
In a quiet Tulsa neighborhood, just south of 36th and Birmingham, is a house designed and built by one of the most
Clint Baxter
Running Tulsa
I set out in the summer of 2009 to become a runner—motivated, and shamed, by the marathon that my mother ran in honor
Jessica Baxter
Rodeo Daze
It's the manure that gets to you. Saturday, August 7. It's the final night of the 25th Annual Pawnee Bill Memorial
Barry Friedman
Letter to My Son the Weekend He Died
Friday Dear Paul, February 15, 2008— You died today—maybe you know that. Twenty-four. It’s
Barry Friedman
The End of Circulars
Editor's note: Buckley's company, Grocio, reported on below, has launched its website. Visit www.grocio.com to learn
Lindsey Neal
Mazeppa: The Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting
Tulsa, April 1970. Oral Roberts University is a glimmering, cornflower-yellow tourist attraction, only seven years
Lindsey Neal
The Rise of Owassoisms
When I discovered Owassoisms–an Owasso-based community blog with a presence on Facebook, and Twitter--I couldn’t
Lindsey Neal
The Gospel of John Lennon
In Search of Lennon's Lost Letter to Oral Roberts In the early 1970s, Oral Roberts’ evangelical TV program was at
Lindsey Neal
John Brainard
John Brainard is an artist from Tulsa, Oklahoma who is known for his large, multimedia collage-paintings. He now lives
Claire Edwards
Severe Storm Watch
We all thought the weather was god, didn’t we? Whether it was the golf-ball hailstorm that ruined the business plan
Rivka Galchen
The Future of Paper
The avian flu morphs yet again. (Those flu viruses are so adept at evolving.) The pigs had the flu, as did the
Rivka Galchen
Phillip and Fiawna: Together in Tulsa
“I was blown away,” Phillip recalls the first day he met Fiawna at the now-closed record store, Mooch and Burn.
Rebekah Greiman
Beau and Chrissie
Beau Rotramel drives musicians across the country; his job keeps him on the road for months at a time. The man needs
Rebekah Greiman
Rusty and Colleen
After a month of being turned down, Rusty got the green light on a date with Colleen. “I picked her up in my junky
Rebekah Greiman
Christy Sanders and Kimmie Michie
“I have zero ‘gay-dar’,“ Kimmie Michie laughs. ”I can’t tell when people are interested. I’m usually the
Rebekah Greiman
Matt and Ashley Shannon
"She was that white unicorn for me," Matt Shannon recounts the chase that was Ashley. The two met while working at
Rebekah Greiman
Duane and Mary Blevins
“If I was a gold digger, I think I could have done much better for myself,” Mary Blevins giggled and then added,
Rebekah Greiman
Jamin & Gina Brasongré
“I was casting for a production and I was hired to find people to dance for a musical about the Tulsa Race Riots,”
Rebekah Greiman
Stephen and Esther
Esther and Stephen Hill started off as many newlyweds do, with nervousness and hope, but their plans stumbled when
Rebekah Greiman
Jim and Linda
The question, “Have you always been this way?” causes Jim Elmore to grin. “What, nomadic?” he asks. “My
Rebekah Greiman
Ray and Jaruwan
Jaruwan Slovacek had to cross an ocean to find love, but Ray Slovacek took on the tougher journey of crossing over to
Rebekah Greiman
Toni Willis & Matthew Edwards
Kismet brought Matthew Edwards and Toni Willis to OSU OU in 1995, but music brought them together. Edwards, then a
Rebekah Greiman
Danielle and Wilson
The curtains parted and the crowds applauded as Wilson Lema and Danielle Cap-Lema danced across the stage. In
Rebekah Greiman
Jeff & Amber Whitlatch
Amber Whitlatch puffed at her purple-red bangs, introducing herself and her husband Jeff from my porch. After the
Rebekah Greiman
John & Holly Upthegrove
It’s the same old story: Boy with the funny last name meets girl and they marry. Boy and girl have three children
Rebekah Greiman
Aaron & Jessica
Littering the kitchen countertop was a mess of costumes, accessories, and makeup found typically in the back recesses
Rebekah Greiman
Urban Chicken
The journey from Maple Ridge to the farmer’s market fords a great divide, with ornate porches—framed by massive
Rebekah Greiman