Howard Starks
Encyclopedia
Howard Vernon Starks was born December 7, 1929, in Shidler, Oklahoma
. He later graduated high school in Fittstown, Oklahoma
and served in the U.S. Army before earning a B.A. in education from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma
. He began a career in education with two years in the Fox
and Healdton, Oklahoma
public schools before entering the University of Oklahoma
graduate school. He was all-but-dissertation on a Ph.D. in English there and taught as a graduate assistant before teaching at The University of Nevada in Reno and then The University of Colorado in Boulder.
In 1968 he came to Southeastern Oklahoma State University
in Durant
and remained until his retirement in 1995. It was here that he encountered the majority of those he would so profoundly influence and affect. He taught courses in humanities
, mythology
, modern poetry
, and numerous branches of literature
. He was very active in theater and drama at SOSU as a performer, director, costume design
er and drama coach, and in 2002 he received the Distinguished Faculty Award from Southeastern State Oklahoma University for his meritorious service and accomplishments.
Off-campus he attended local elementary school
s and read poetry to students. He served on planning boards for the Durant Indian Summer Arts Festival, Durant Community Theater and the Durant Centennial.
After his retirement in 1995 at the prodding of his fellow professors, Blanche Jamison, Dennis
and Billie Letts
, Elbert and Marion Hill and others he completed work on his first book of Poetry, Family Album (A Collection of Poetry) for Running Board Press. It became a finalist in the 1997 Oklahoma Book Awards, cited for its strong sense of family and place.
The collection contained only fifteen poems, but one poem from the book, "August: Osage County," has achieved both national and international prominence since the phenomenal success of Tracy Letts
' play of the same name. Starks taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University along with Letts' father, Dennis, who originated the role of Beverly in "August: Osage County
" and Tracy's mother, novelist Billie Letts. Letts' drama won both the Pulitzer Prize
and the Tony Award
for best play of 2008. "I could never come up with a title as brilliant as 'August: Osage County.' Mr. Howard Starks, gentleman, teacher, poet, genius, mentor, friend, created that title for an extraordinary poem that is one of the inspirations for my play. I steal the title with deference, yet without apology — Howard, I'm sure, would have it no other way — and I dedicate this play to his memory."
Starks died April 7, 2003. A tribute to Starks was part of Southeastern’s year-long commemoration of the university's centennial. Poems read came from Starks' book, "Family Album," which was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award in 1997. Readers included Starks' sister, Bette Posey of Midwest City, and her daughter, Elizabeth Alexander
of Phoenix, Arizona
; Carol Hamilton, poet laureate
of Oklahoma
1995-97 and winner of the 1992 Oklahoma Book Award; Carl Sennhenn, poet laureate of Oklahoma in 2001-03 and winner of the 2007 Oklahoma Book Award; former students Ron Wallace, winner of the 2009 Oklahoma Writer's Federation Best Book of Poetry and English instructor at Southeastern; Curt Boles, nationally acclaimed Western artist; Charles Ladd, English teacher at Whitesboro, Texas
, High School and Southeastern; Jane Brantley-Wallace, former English teacher at Valliant
and Boswell, Oklahoma
; and Valerie Gee, English teacher at Antlers, Oklahoma
; former colleagues Dr. David Cook, nationally acclaimed director of college theater, formerly at SE and presently at Tulsa University; Dr. Elbert Hill, professor emeritus of English at Southeastern; and Marion Moore Hill, successful mystery novelist.
Shidler, Oklahoma
Shidler is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 441 at the 2010 census, a 15.2 percent decrease from 520 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Shidler is located at ....
. He later graduated high school in Fittstown, Oklahoma
Fittstown, Oklahoma
Fittstown is an unincorporated community in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. Fittstown is located on U.S. Route 377 south-southeast of Ada. Fittstown has a post office with ZIP code 74842....
and served in the U.S. Army before earning a B.A. in education from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....
. He began a career in education with two years in the Fox
Fox, Oklahoma
Fox is a small community in Carter County, Oklahoma. The post office was established January 25, 1894. It was named for Frank M. Fox of the Chickasaw Nation. It is best known as a racially integrated school and producer of several H.S. championship football teams, particularly in the late 1970s and...
and Healdton, Oklahoma
Healdton, Oklahoma
Healdton is a city in Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,786 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ardmore, Oklahoma Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Healdton is located at ....
public schools before entering the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
graduate school. He was all-but-dissertation on a Ph.D. in English there and taught as a graduate assistant before teaching at The University of Nevada in Reno and then The University of Colorado in Boulder.
In 1968 he came to Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, often referred to as Southeastern and abbreviated as SE, or SOSU, is a public university located in Durant, Oklahoma, with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 4,229 as of 2009.-History:...
in Durant
Durant, Oklahoma
Durant is a city in Bryan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 15,877 at the 2010 census. Durant is the principal city of the Durant Micropolitan Statistical Area, which had a population of 42,416 in 2010...
and remained until his retirement in 1995. It was here that he encountered the majority of those he would so profoundly influence and affect. He taught courses in humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, modern poetry
Modern poetry
Modern poetry may refer to:*The more recent periods in the history of poetry; or*Modernist poetry, the application of modernist aesthetics to poetry....
, and numerous branches of literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. He was very active in theater and drama at SOSU as a performer, director, costume design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
er and drama coach, and in 2002 he received the Distinguished Faculty Award from Southeastern State Oklahoma University for his meritorious service and accomplishments.
Off-campus he attended local elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s and read poetry to students. He served on planning boards for the Durant Indian Summer Arts Festival, Durant Community Theater and the Durant Centennial.
After his retirement in 1995 at the prodding of his fellow professors, Blanche Jamison, Dennis
Dennis Letts
Dennis Letts was an American college professor and actor. Letts made his Broadway theater debut in December 2007 in the production of August: Osage County, which was written by his son, playwright Tracy Letts....
and Billie Letts
Billie Letts
Billie Letts is an American novelist and educator. She was a professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.-Family:She was married to professor-turned-actor Dennis Letts until his death in 2008, and is the mother of playwright/actor Tracy Letts, jazz musician/composer Shawn Letts, and Dana...
, Elbert and Marion Hill and others he completed work on his first book of Poetry, Family Album (A Collection of Poetry) for Running Board Press. It became a finalist in the 1997 Oklahoma Book Awards, cited for its strong sense of family and place.
The collection contained only fifteen poems, but one poem from the book, "August: Osage County," has achieved both national and international prominence since the phenomenal success of Tracy Letts
Tracy Letts
Tracy Letts is an American playwright and actor who received the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play August: Osage County.-Biography:...
' play of the same name. Starks taught at Southeastern Oklahoma State University along with Letts' father, Dennis, who originated the role of Beverly in "August: Osage County
August: Osage County
August: Osage County is a darkly comedic play by Tracy Letts. It was the recipient of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play premiered at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago on 28 June 2007, and closed on 26 August 2007. Its Broadway debut was at the Imperial Theater on 4 December 2007 and...
" and Tracy's mother, novelist Billie Letts. Letts' drama won both the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
and the Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
for best play of 2008. "I could never come up with a title as brilliant as 'August: Osage County.' Mr. Howard Starks, gentleman, teacher, poet, genius, mentor, friend, created that title for an extraordinary poem that is one of the inspirations for my play. I steal the title with deference, yet without apology — Howard, I'm sure, would have it no other way — and I dedicate this play to his memory."
Starks died April 7, 2003. A tribute to Starks was part of Southeastern’s year-long commemoration of the university's centennial. Poems read came from Starks' book, "Family Album," which was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award in 1997. Readers included Starks' sister, Bette Posey of Midwest City, and her daughter, Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander
Elizabeth Alexander is an Australian actress with a number of high profile credits in film, television and theatre.-Personal life:...
of Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
; Carol Hamilton, poet laureate
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government and is often expected to compose poems for state occasions and other government events...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
1995-97 and winner of the 1992 Oklahoma Book Award; Carl Sennhenn, poet laureate of Oklahoma in 2001-03 and winner of the 2007 Oklahoma Book Award; former students Ron Wallace, winner of the 2009 Oklahoma Writer's Federation Best Book of Poetry and English instructor at Southeastern; Curt Boles, nationally acclaimed Western artist; Charles Ladd, English teacher at Whitesboro, Texas
Whitesboro, Texas
Whitesboro is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,760 at the 2000 census. Whitesboro is named for its founder, Ambrose B...
, High School and Southeastern; Jane Brantley-Wallace, former English teacher at Valliant
Valliant, Oklahoma
Valliant is a town in McCurtain County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 771 at the 2000 census.Valliant was founded June 2, 1902, and named for Frank W...
and Boswell, Oklahoma
Boswell, Oklahoma
Boswell is a town in Choctaw County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 703 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Boswell has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 1.43% is water.-Climate:...
; and Valerie Gee, English teacher at Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers, Oklahoma
Antlers is a city in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma. The population was 2,552 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pushmataha County.-Geography:Antlers is located at...
; former colleagues Dr. David Cook, nationally acclaimed director of college theater, formerly at SE and presently at Tulsa University; Dr. Elbert Hill, professor emeritus of English at Southeastern; and Marion Moore Hill, successful mystery novelist.
See Also
- Video of Howard reading his poetry
- Video of Dennis LettsDennis LettsDennis Letts was an American college professor and actor. Letts made his Broadway theater debut in December 2007 in the production of August: Osage County, which was written by his son, playwright Tracy Letts....
remembering Howard at his funeral in 2003
Sources
- Southeastern Oklahoma State University News
- Tulsa World
- Oklahoma Center for the Book