Betty Lou Shipley (July 31, 1931 – March 14, 1998) was the twelfth
poet laureate of the state of Oklahoma.
Shipley's term as laureate was cut short by her death.
Along with authoring three books of poetry, Shipley was the poetry editor for ''Byline Magazine''
and operator of Full Count Press and, later, Broncho Press.
Early life
Betty Lou Shipley (née Forsythe) was born in Edmond, Oklahoma on July 11, 1931. She lived in
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid ( ) is the ninth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,308. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, a ...
and
Duncan, Oklahoma
Duncan is a city and county seat of Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 22,310 at the 2020 census. Its main claim to fame is as the birthplace of the Halliburton Corporation. Erle P. Halliburton established the New Me ...
as a child.
She graduated from Duncan High School in 1949
and went on to earn a degree in secondary education and a master's in creative studies from the
University of Central Oklahoma
The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO or Central State) is a public university in Edmond, Oklahoma. It is the third largest university in Oklahoma, with more than 17,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty. Founde ...
.
Awards
Her book ''Someone Say Amen'' was awarded the 1998 Oklahoma Book Award.
Works
* ''Called Up Yonder: Poems from the Bible Belt'' (Cardinal, 1980)
* ''Somebody Say Amen'' (By-Line, 1997)
* ''Meltdown: Poems from the Core'' (Full Count, 1980)
See also
*
Poets Laureate of Oklahoma
The Poet Laureate of Oklahoma is the poet laureate for the U.S. state of Oklahoma.
List of Poets Laureate
* Violet McDougal – 1923–1931
* Paul Kroeger – 1931–1940
*Jennie Harris Oliver – 1940–1942
* Della Ione Young – 1943–1 ...
References
1931 births
1998 deaths
20th-century American people
20th-century American women
20th-century poets
American women poets
People from Duncan, Oklahoma
People from Edmond, Oklahoma
Poets Laureate of Oklahoma
University of Central Oklahoma alumni
Writers from Enid, Oklahoma
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