Betty Lou Shipley

American poet

Betty Lou Shipley
Born	Betty Lou Forsythe ^[1] (1931-07-11)July 11, 1931^[2] Edmond, Oklahoma^[2]
Died	March 14, 1998(1998-03-14) (aged 66) ^[2]
Occupation	Poet laureate of Oklahoma
Alma mater	University of Central Oklahoma^[2]

Betty Lou Shipley (July 11, 1931 – March 14, 1998) was the twelfth poet laureate of the state of Oklahoma.^[1]^[2] Shipley's term as laureate was cut short by her death.^[3] Along with authoring three books of poetry, Shipley was the poetry editor for Byline Magazine^[4] and operator of Full Count Press and, later, Broncho Press.^[4]^[1]

Early life

Betty Lou Shipley (née Forsythe) was born in Edmond, Oklahoma on July 11, 1931. She lived in Enid, Oklahoma and Duncan, Oklahoma as a child.^[1] She graduated from Duncan High School in 1949^[4] and went on to earn a degree in secondary education and a master's in creative studies from the University of Central Oklahoma.^[1]

Awards

Her book Someone Say Amen was awarded the 1998 Oklahoma Book Award.^[2]

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)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Holliday, Shawn (2015). The Oklahoma Poets Laureate : a Sourcebook, History, and Anthology. Holliday, Shawn, 1969-, Barnes, Jim, 1933-, Brown, Nathan L. (Nathan Lee), 1965-, Davis, Delbert, 1883-1965., Fry, Maggie Culver, 1900-1998., Hamilton, Carol. (First ed.). Norman, Oklahoma: Mongrel Empire Press. p. 190. ISBN 9780990320432. OCLC 905700998.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Praising the career of Oklahoma Poet Laureate Betty Lou Shipley; expressing condolences upon her death" (PDF). Senate Concurrent Resolution 69. State of Oklahoma: 2nd Session of the 46th Legislature. 1998. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
^ "Oklahoma's Poet Laureates and their Terms". The Oklahoman. 7 November 2004.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Poet ready for any occasion". Sapulpa Daily Herald. 22 May 1997. Retrieved 20 July 2021.