Tulsa Literary Coalition

The Tulsa Literary Coalition fosters curiosity and understanding through the love of reading a books.

We envision a world of reading without limits, without censure, and without judgement.

We affect social change and bridge cultural, ethnic and religious divides through literature; to leverage community resources by partnering with existing nonprofit organizations to help them achieve their missions by adding a literary component to their services; to foster the love of reading and build a community of book lovers in order to distill the literary energy in Tulsa.

Meet Our Team

We won’t be satisfied until every Tulsan has discovered a mind-altering book to love.

Jenna Akuma

Director

A Tulsa native, Jenna Akuma studied Psychology and Sociology at Northeastern State University. She earned her Master of Arts in Human Relations with emphasis on Organizational Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Jenna led as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Justin Thompson Restaurants, a highly awarded, and nationally recognized, local company operating some of Tulsa’s most loved restaurants and catering services. As Director of Operations for the nonprofit Palmer Addiction Recovery Services, Akuma implemented new policies and procedures, increased grant funding, and revised financial and human resources operations to meet best practices.

Bettina Dirks

Store Manager

Bettina studied physics and economics at Rutgers University, but we don't hold that against her. She has many years of experience as a bookstore manager and keeps Magic City Books running smoothly. She reads widely, with a special affection for nonfiction.

Jeff Martin

Co-Founder/President

Jeff Martin is the founder of Magic City Books and Booksmart Tulsa. He is currently board president for the Tulsa Literary Coalition and author and/or editor of four books including The Late American Novel: Writers on the Future of Books, hailed by The Atlantic as ``Funny, poignant, relentlessly thought-provoking.`` Jeff has written for publications including Publishers Weekly, Poets & Writers, Salon.com, and GOOD, among others. In 2012, Jeff was inducted into the Tulsa City-County Library Hall of Fame.

Cindy Hulsey (1959-2018)

Co-Founder

Cindy was the founding Executive Director of the Tulsa Literary Coalition and general manager of Magic City Books. She held a B.A. in English literature from the University of Tulsa and a Masters of Library and Information Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Cindy worked as a librarian at the Tulsa City County-Library for many years before joining Jeff Martin in founding Magic City Books.
Executive Board of Directors

Jeff Martin

President

Dr. John Schumann

Vice President

Treasurer

Maggie Hoey

Secretary

Elected Board of Directors

Shoney Blake

Jim Morgan

Stephanie Singer

Brooke Sturdivant

Evan Wei-Haas

Anna Wolfe

Advisory Board

Michael Chabon

Patricia Chernicky

Chris Cleave

Jonathan Safron Foer

Jonathan Franzen

Joy Harjo

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

Hannibal Johnson

Alicia Latimer

Teresa Miller

Ann Patchett

Nancy Pearl

Sir Salman Rushdie

David Sedaris

Lane Smith

Susan Thomas

Ayelet Waldman

Daniel H. Wilson

Our Programs

The Tulsa Literary Coalition was founded in late 2015 to provide programs such as:

  • Book discussion groups that use fiction and narrative nonfiction to initiate dialog about difficult subjects, such as race, sexual identity and religious beliefs
  • Panel discussions featuring subject matter experts that use literature as a means of discussing social and cultural issues that affect our city (homelessness, racism, mental illness, poverty, etc.)
  • Lectures by local university professors that teach adults and older teens how to approach literature as art and how to get the greatest benefit from reading
  • Free consultations to existing and start-up private book groups in order to encourage and support book discussion as an important means of social connection, intellectual and emotional growth
  • Collaboration with other arts organizations in the Tulsa Arts District to create cross-discipline synergy
  • Free writing workshops that encourage self-expression and foster understanding
Contact Us

TULSA LITERARY COALITION, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on contributions to continue its literary programs and services to the Tulsa Community. We thank the following foundations, corporations, and individuals for their generous support. All designations represent cumulative support to the Tulsa Literary Coalition.

Nobel Patrons ($50,000 and above)

  • Pam and Lee Eslicker
  • Cheryl and Richard Groenendyke
  • George Kaiser Family Foundation
  • Susan and Bob Mase
  • Chris and Craig Rainey
  • The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation

Pulitzer Patrons ($10,000 to $49,999)

  • Ellen and Steve Adelson
  • Joanie and Tom Atkinson
  • Robin Flint Ballenger
  • Mervin Bovaird Foundation
  • Bumgarner Family Foundation
  • The CHANGE Fund
  • Patricia Chernicky
  • Mary Quinn and Frank Cooper
  • Gayle and Frank Eby
  • Laura Gonsalves
  • Hille Foundation
  • Cindy Hulsey and Shannon Hall
  • Teresa Knox and Ivan Icosta
  • The Pauline Dwyer Macklanbrg and Robert A. Macklanburg Jr. Foundation
  • Gwen and Steve Malcolm
  • Cinda and Mark Marra
  • April and Sid McAnnally
  • Julia Meier and Tom Ladner
  • National Book Foundation
  • Ruth Nelson
  • Oklahoma Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities
  • Sayuri and Dav Pilkey
  • Melissa and Robert Sartin
  • SemGroup Foundation
  • Mark Short
  • Jill & Bob Thomas  
  • Susan & Bill Thomas
  • Williams Companies Foundation
  • Jane P. Wiseman and James C. Hodges

Booker Patrons ($5,000 to $9,999)

  • City of Tulsa Vision Arts Resilience and Recovery Fund
  • Stephani and Keith Franklin
  • Kathleen Gerety and James Howard
  • Janice Green and Paul Patton
  • Kathleen and Bart Hall
  • Bonnie and Frank X Henke III
  • Lauren Houston
  • Damon Lindelof
  • Oklahoma Center for Non-Profits
  • LJS Revocable Trust
  • Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
  • Kathryn Thomas
  • Tyler Thrasher

Pen Patrons ($1,000 to $4,999)

  • Paul and Jean Pape Adams Charitable Foundation
  • Susannah and Jim Adelson
  • Sydney and Jim Aldag
  • All Souls Unitarian Church
  • American Booksellers Association/BINC Foundation
  • Alison Anthony and Mark Wilson
  • Barrow & Grimm, P.C.
  • Paul and Nancy Bizjack Family Foundation
  • Myra Block
  • Broadhurst Foundation
  • Laurie and Terry Brumbaugh
  • Gillian and Patrick Cawiezell
  • Katherine Coyle
  • Jackie Deatherage
  • Cindy and Kelly Diven
  • Alisa Dougless
  • Ellen and Otto Duecker
  • FDL Energy
  • Jessica England
  • Shawna and Tony Gehres
  • Rabbi Jeff and Mindy Glickman
  • Happy Bookers
  • Hardesty Family Foundation, Inc.
  • Brooke and Stuart Hawley
  • Mary Anne Hille
  • Nora and John Hove
  • Meredith Howard
  • Peggy and Alan Hulsey
  • JLT Sustainers Book Club in honor of Joanne Fiocchi
  • Meredith and Justin Lesher
  • Molly and Jeff Martin
  • Paige Martin and Paul Clear
  • Jane Mudgett and Samuel Peled
  • Network for Good
  • PENAmerica
  • Robert Blake Ramsey
  • Marcy and Bernard Robinowitz
  • Keri Salas
  • Drs. Sarah-Anne and John Schumann
  • James Steinmeyer and David Easton
  • Elizabeth Ann and Michael Stone
  • Brooke Sturdivant
  • Tatiana and Gordon Taylor
  • Tulsa Artist Fellowship
  • University of Oklahoma Foundation
  • Peter Walter
  • Julie and William G. Watson, II
  • LeeAnna and Jim Weaver

National Book Patrons (up to $999)

($500 to $999)

  • Mary Ann Allbritton
  • Cheryl and Don Baker
  • Laura Stott Bell
  • Libby Bender
  • Sharon and Ken Bertram
  • Marian and Dennis Bires
  • Daniel Burnstein Trust
  • Ann and David Burris
  • Sister Simone Campbell
  • Laura Colgan
  • Sharon King Davis
  • Wendy and Gentner Drummond
  • Donna and William Farrior
  • Linda and Bill Fiddler
  • Jane & Earl Funk
  • Shirley and Steve Gidley
  • Tanya Going
  • Sherri Goodall
  • Kathy and Scott Gregory
  • Nancy and Phil Hammond
  • Wade Hoefling
  • Rebecca Howard and Joy Kelly
  • Anna Imose
  • Glenda Kilmer
  • Julie Klammer
  • Martha Laughlin
  • Rhonda Mayhan
  • Neff Brewing
  • Clair Powers
  • Bettye Rector
  • Ann Reinecke
  • Jaya Richardson
  • Barbara Schoenhals
  • Heather Schroeder
  • Robert Sears
  • Kala and Gary Sharp
  • Brenda and Dan Sieler
  • Julia and Will Thomas
  • Piper and Deacon Turner
  • Kayla and Scott Vaughn

($25 – $499)

  • Nancy Acton
  • Samantha Adamson
  • Rebecca Ballard
  • Katherine Baltes
  • Andy Bantly
  • Josh Barnes
  • Bilal Baydoun
  • Jim Beach
  • Aaron Bean
  • David Beebe
  • Leta Bell
  • Darla Bennett
  • Sharon Bentley
  • Jana and Tom Bergdall
  • Corey Beyer
  • Becky and Robert Billings
  • Terry Blackford
  • Shoney Blake
  • David Blatt
  • Patty Bohannon
  • Boomtown Tees
  • Genevieve Bowman
  • Rita Boyle
  • Kyle Brown
  • Lisa Brown
  • Lynda Brownson
  • Craig Bryant
  • Paul Bryden
  • Carol and Hugh Burleigh
  • Jennifer Burton
  • Ken Busby
  • Carol Bush
  • Thomas L. Byers
  • Cindy Cain
  • Kathy and Dan Call
  • Susan Case
  • Julie Chapman
  • Carri Clark
  • Conor Cleary
  • Lee Ann Cole
  • Mary Coley
  • Kathy and Ron Collins
  • Collins Family Trust
  • Frances Hawpe Compton
  • Taylor Costley
  • Kayla Costner
  • Julia Couch
  • John Coward
  • Jayme Cox
  • Richard Cox
  • Caroline Owens Crain
  • Ellen Cummings
  • Abby Cutler
  • Marcy and Michael Cyter
  • Leslie Dalton
  • Eric Delaney
  • Dell Technologies
  • Braden, Reese and Terra Dempsey
  • Bettina Dirks
  • Kimberly Doenges
  • James Donovan
  • Kathleen Doss
  • Emily Duensing and Ted Bakamjian
  • Heather Duncan
  • Suzanne Elbel
  • Jamie Elliott
  • The Ellis Family
  • Isaac Ellis
  • Roy Ellison
  • Linda A. Epperley
  • Carol Fagan
  • Richard Fisher
  • Susan and John Fitter
  • Michael Flippin
  • Pat Fleugel
  • Amanda Forman
  • Abigail Forrest
  • Julie Frank
  • Kandi Frasier
  • Hannah Frosch
  • Ann Gaebe
  • Mindy Galoob
  • Sterling Gates
  • Starla and Jon Glazer
  • Linda Goldenstern
  • Donna and Phillip Goswick
  • Susan Green
  • Glenna Greer
  • Marjorie Gross
  • Carla Guzik
  • Ryan Haight
  • Ann Halloran
  • Gretchen Hannefield
  • Bridget Harkin
  • Patricia Hartman
  • Sandra Havelka
  • Phyllis and Dwight Henry
  • Marion Hill
  • Amanda and Van Hodges
  • Michelle Hoffman
  • Kurt Holmes
  • Morgan Holmes
  • Kathy Horne
  • Carolyn Hudson
  • Alana Hughes
  • Deborah Hunter
  • Mary M. Hydrick
  • Lynne Imhoff and Luiz Weksler
  • Debra Morrow Ingram
  • Bailey James
  • Paige Jamieson
  • Junie Janzen
  • Lisa Johnson
  • Patti Johnson
  • Dan Kaiman
  • Megan Kassem
  • Margaret Kelley
  • Shannon Kelly
  • Karen Kerner
  • Zenia Kish
  • Susan Klausner
  • Shannon Kline
  • Walter Kosty
  • Autumn Kramer
  • Lorri Krisman
  • Nancy Kruckeberg
  • KS Writers, Inc.
  • Lyn LaGreca
  • Langdon Publishing
  • Judy Larremore
  • George Lee
  • Karen Long
  • Jocie and Wally Love
  • Velda Lueders
  • Danielle Macdonald
  • Marla Mansfield
  • Andy Marcum
  • Barbara and Karl Markert
  • Charles Martin
  • Marie Martin
  • Rhys Martin
  • Sheila Mason
  • Bill McCloud
  • Lesley McCollough
  • Karen McFadden
  • Charles McGechie
  • Denis McGilvray
  • Jody Jill McIntyre
  • Ashley McIntosh
  • Lorrie McLaughlin
  • Garland McWatters
  • Fred Meyerriecks
  • Teresa Miller
  • Jeanetta Calhoun Mish
  • Annie and Richard Mitchell
  • Margo Mitchell
  • David Moncrief
  • Calvin Moniz
  • Christina Moore
  • Leslie Moore
  • Moore Elementary PTA in honor of LeeAnna Weaver
  • Jim Morgan
  • Patricia Mort
  • Regina Mullenix
  • Kay and Larry Murphy
  • Shelley Nachtigall
  • Ann Neal
  • Dennis Neill
  • Megan Nesbit
  • Martin Newman
  • Rebecca Holland and Ronald Nick
  • Mike Newman
  • R Nordholm
  • Terry Norris
  • NeMar and Tom Noulles
  • Patricia Nye
  • Daniel Orthwein
  • Beth Webb Ozmun
  • Shannann Passley
  • Kris Patrick
  • Nancy L. Taylor Payne
  • Alexandra Pence
  • Phillips 66
  • Jimmy Pickett
  • Kristin and Steve Pickett
  • Tamara Piety
  • Ron Pittser
  • Maggie and Aaron Post
  • Rosemary Powell
  • Donna Prigmore
  • Gregory Rahal
  • Briana Raimondo
  • Judy and Roger Randle
  • Laura and Clifton Raphael
  • Justin Rawlins
  • Keely Record
  • Anita Rice
  • Barbara Richardson
  • Amber Rieger
  • Randy Roberts
  • Marla Robinson
  • Susan K. Robinson
  • Sandra Rodolf
  • Jennifer and Thomas Rudolph
  • Donald Ryan
  • Linda and Larry Sanders
  • Melanie Sarver
  • Pam Schloeder
  • Lori Sears
  • Joan Seay
  • Steve and Patti Sellers
  • Lissa Barr Shaw
  • Jeff Sharp
  • Pamela Shelton
  • Lauren Sherry
  • Stephanie and Bob Shipley
  • Hannah Sieler
  • Glenda and Larry Silvey
  • Jaime D. Skipper
  • Elizabeth Slappey
  • Kevin Smokler
  • Laura Jean Snow
  • Doug Solter
  • Brogan Spears
  • Tracy Spears
  • John Spiegel
  • Elizabeth Cook Strance
  • Carrie Stuart-Grote
  • Barbara Sturdivant
  • Pam Summers
  • Susan Swatek
  • Deborah Taggart
  • Julie Thoben
  • Barbara Eikner Thompson
  • Susan Todd
  • Rhonda and Charlie Transue
  • Matt Trotter
  • Anna Turner
  • Sheryl Tyree
  • Jaime Vogt
  • Pam Vrooman
  • Sally Warrington
  • Dan Watson
  • Elizabeth Weatherholt
  • Christen Webb
  • Gracie Weiderhaft
  • Marie Welden
  • Jill Wenger
  • Heather White
  • Kari White
  • Jaymie Whitson
  • Kerry A. Wiens
  • Maryjo Wimbish
  • Margaret Wolfe
  • Piper J. Wolfe
  • Michael Wright
  • Kelsie and Ryan Yarnall
  • Janet Yeager
  • Katherine Younger
  • Charlie Yount
  • Jane Zemel
Support the Tulsa Literary Coalition

Help us foster the love of reading and build a community of book lovers in Tulsa.

Support TLC