Harper Lee
Author Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. Lee grew up as tomboy being the youngest of four children in Alabama. Her father was a lawyer and her mother suffered from a mental illness. Lee became interested in English literature throughout her high school years. She then went to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama where she focused on her studies and was a member of the literary honor society. Lee transferred to the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa where she was part of the school newspaper team. During her junior year, Lee was accepted into the law school where she worked towards her law degree while she was still an undergraduate student. For a summer exchange program, Lee went to Oxford University in England and when she returned home, she dropped out of law school and moved to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a writer. While in New York she worked for an airline to support herself as she tried to create a writing career. Lee reconnected with her childhood friend and became friends with a Broadway composer, Michael Brown. In 1956 the Brown’s decided to support Lee for an entire year so she could quit her job for the airlines to focus entirely on her writing career. In 1959 Lee finished her manuscript of “To Kill a Mockingbird” which had also been titled Go Set a Watchman and Attics.
After her manuscript was finished, Lee focused her attention on helping her friend Truman Capote on an article involving the murder of four people. The two traveled to Kansas to interview family, friends, and community members before returning to New York where they had the chance to interview the suspects. Lee took over as lead researcher on the case but then turned everything over to Capote to regain focus on her novel. In July of 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird was first published and instantly became popular. Shorter versions of the novel appeared in magazines and became a novel for the book of the month club. In 1961 Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee was said to have worked on two other novels but they were never published. Lee has lived a simple life since the publishing of To Kill a Mockingbird. She worked with Capote on his novel for awhile and joined the National Council of the Arts. Lee still resides between New York and Monroeville living a quiet life. She keeps away from having a public life or anything having to deal with her book To Kill a Mockingbird.
Sources:
" Harper Lee." 2011. Biography.com 20 Nov 2011, 07:11 http://www.biography.com/people/harper-lee-9377021
"Redirect Notice." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=harper+lee&hl=en&biw=1191&bih=445&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=SIZEQSlL-37f8M:&imgrefurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemockingbird/0prose_mockingbird_contrev1.shtml&docid=tv1hSilcAUj-oM&imgurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/images/elmockingcont01.jpg&w=226&h=368&ei=ItzWTqn-D6iMsAKz1PTSDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=
After her manuscript was finished, Lee focused her attention on helping her friend Truman Capote on an article involving the murder of four people. The two traveled to Kansas to interview family, friends, and community members before returning to New York where they had the chance to interview the suspects. Lee took over as lead researcher on the case but then turned everything over to Capote to regain focus on her novel. In July of 1960 To Kill a Mockingbird was first published and instantly became popular. Shorter versions of the novel appeared in magazines and became a novel for the book of the month club. In 1961 Lee was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee was said to have worked on two other novels but they were never published. Lee has lived a simple life since the publishing of To Kill a Mockingbird. She worked with Capote on his novel for awhile and joined the National Council of the Arts. Lee still resides between New York and Monroeville living a quiet life. She keeps away from having a public life or anything having to deal with her book To Kill a Mockingbird.
Sources:
" Harper Lee." 2011. Biography.com 20 Nov 2011, 07:11 http://www.biography.com/people/harper-lee-9377021
"Redirect Notice." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?q=harper+lee&hl=en&biw=1191&bih=445&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=SIZEQSlL-37f8M:&imgrefurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/prosemockingbird/0prose_mockingbird_contrev1.shtml&docid=tv1hSilcAUj-oM&imgurl=http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/english_literature/images/elmockingcont01.jpg&w=226&h=368&ei=ItzWTqn-D6iMsAKz1PTSDQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=
