Meet the Author: Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird
Background Info: Born in Monroeville, AL April 28, 1926 Father: Newspaper Owner/Editor, Senator, and Lawyer Harper Lee Studied Law at U. of Alabama, but edited the newspaper Studied at Oxford University Went to NY to start literary career To Kill a Mockingbird was Harper Lee’s 1st published novel Worked on National Council of the Arts for President Johnson Retreated from Public Life- still lives in NYC and Monroeville, AL
Book Info: Won Pulitzer Prize in 1961 International Bestseller 1962 Characters and Setting based on Harper Lee’s Life Horton Foote wrote the screenplay film adaptation Won 8 Academy Award nominations Gregory Peck won Best Actor- Atticus
Friends Truman Capote- Rising Literary Star Friend from AL Reunited in NYC Michael Martin Brown- Broadway composer and lyricist Supported Harper Lee for a year so that she could write full time Helped her find an agent, Maurice Crain- published TKAM
Other Works Worked on Truman Capote’s non-fiction masterpiece In Cold Blood She helped interviewed community, suspects, and took notes on crime, victims, and trial. Capote never acknowledged Lee’s contributions to the work Published Go Set a Watchman July 2015. Much controversy over its publication and characters.