When I think about Oklahoma in literature, three specific books come to mind: The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton), Where the Red Fern Grows (Wilson Rawls), and Sundown (John Joseph Mathews). The first two many people are likely familiar with (if not through the books than the film adaptations), but the third is perhaps not as well known.

Sundown is about an Osage man who goes to the University of Oklahoma and then serves in World War I before returning to his home. (It’s fascinating, if you’re an OU fan or alum, to read the parts of the book detailing the campus and community in the 1910s.) It is set against the oil boom of the early 20th century, and the turmoil that created within the Osage community and with white folks outside the community who sought to get hold of the resultant wealth. It’s a great book and when it was published in 1934 it was one of the very first published novels written by a Native American. Anyone here read it?

So what are your favorite books about Oklahoma or by Oklahomans?

I know that whining about DU is not allowed in the Soapbox forum, but many of the threads that were locked weren't doing that. Are we not allowed to talk about DU at all in the Soapbox forum?

Apparently some people aren't thrilled with DU3, but I think you guys have done a great job. Still, clicking on what will likely be the most popular forum on the site and seeing dozens of locked threads and only a handful of open threads is a bit disconcerting.