Meet the Author: Harper Lee- Student Notes

Name: ______

Meet the Author: Harper Lee- Student Notes To Kill a Mockingbird Background Information:  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 ______University  Went to NY to start literary career  To Kill a Mockingbird was Harper Lee’s 1st ______novel  Worked on National Council of the Arts for President Johnson  Retreated from Public Life- still lives in NYC and Monroeville, AL

Book Information:  Won Pulitzer Prize in 1961  International Bestseller 1962  Characters and Setting based on Harper Lee’s Life  Horton Foote wrote the ______film adaptation  Won ______Academy Award nominations  Gregory Peck won ______- Atticus

Friends:  Truman ______- Rising Literary Star  Friend from AL  Reunited in NYC  Michael Martin Brown- Broadway composer and lyricist  Supported Harper Lee for a ______so that she could write full time  Helped her find an agent, Maurice Crain- published TKAM

Other Works:  Worked on Truman Capote’s ______masterpiece In Cold Blood  She helped interviewed community, suspects, and took notes on crime, victims, and trial.  Capote ______acknowledged Lee’s contributions to the work  Published Go Set a Watchman July 2015.  Much controversy over its publication and characters. Meet the Author: Harper Lee- Presenter Notes To Kill a Mockingbird Background Information:  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 (Told family that she wanted to pursue writing instead of law)  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 (If time, can talk about several lawsuits—1.son-in-law of former agent Samuel Pinkus- who “duped” her out of the copyright of TMAK and 2. Old Courthouse Museum selling merchandise infringing on her trademarks.)

Book Information:  Won Pulitzer Prize in 1961  International Bestseller 1962  Characters and Setting based on Harper Lee’s Life  Horton Foote wrote the screenplay film adaptation (She visited the set and did many interviews to promote the film)  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 (She was disappointed and hurt by this betrayal—he did dedicate the book to her, just didn’t say anything about her contributions)  Published Go Set a Watchman July 2015.  Much controversy over its publication and characters.  (Has worked on another non-fiction project about a AL serial killer, “The Reverend” but it was never published. When she was alive she was very active in her church and community, but avoided anything to do with her still popular novel)