Rip Harper Lee: Author Of To Kill A Mockingbird

[W_L]

Harper Lee has died at age 89

 

I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was 14 in high school along with Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

 

No I don't want this to be a posting about Race or any touchy political subjects, but a memorial for a type of American author, the Southern Novelist. Her story was amazing and touching; there were many complicated stories within her narrative from nascent themes of female adolescence to rich southern lore to the overt issues of race and justice, not to mention I had a feeling that Dill was secretly crushing on Jem even before I found out Dill was Truman Capote I wrote an essay for my English teacher "that's what I thought" and she told me in private that's likely what the author meant

Edited February 20, 2016 by W_L

[Krista]

I really need to pick up her book, it is one of my favorites. Sad loss. 

[Bill W]

I think we all read this in school.  A very touching story.  I think we were all a little shocked by how she portrayed Atticus in her second story that only came out recently.  She was a very private person and stayed out of the limelight, so may she rest in peace now. 

[TetRefine]

I remember the first time I read this book at 15, I hated the first half of the book, but was hooked on the second half about the trial. I've recently reread the whole thing again and have learned to appreciate the first half as well. 

 

I guess now I'll have to go and get the follow up story. 

[JamesSavik]

Believe it or not, I'm not thrilled with many of our "Southern" authors.

 

Too many of them create negative stereotypes about the south and Southerners.

 

Like we are innocent or honest.

 

Bah! We can be corrupt and decadent with the worst of them!

 

We just have a different style.  

[W_L]

I remember the first time I read this book at 15, I hated the first half of the book, but was hooked on the second half about the trial. I've recently reread the whole thing again and have learned to appreciate the first half as well. 

 

I guess now I'll have to go and get the follow up story. 

 

 

I think we all read this in school.  A very touching story.  I think we were all a little shocked by how she portrayed Atticus in her second story that only came out recently.  She was a very private person and stayed out of the limelight, so may she rest in peace now. 

 

Ummm....I don't want to speak politics on this thread, but if you do like To Kill a Mockingbird, please read Go Set a Watchman with an open mind, it's a very different kind of story and it is in many ways has the opposite themes of To Kill a Mockingbird, you might feel cheated by it and offended by the divisive language. The book was published by a new company under Rupert Murdoch's holdings.

 

I'll give you guys fair warning as I have no problems reading comparative stories with controversial themes.

 

 

Believe it or not, I'm not thrilled with many of our "Southern" authors.

 

Too many of them create negative stereotypes about the south and Southerners.

 

Like we are innocent or honest.

 

Bah! We can be corrupt and decadent with the worst of them!

 

We just have a different style.  

 

You're next story should be about a Southern Chef then: you will get decadence, soulfulness, lust, and of course gluttony. I'd love to compare pigs feet recipes

[Former Member]

 

Why would this be about race or politics?     I have read "To Kill a Mockingbird" several times, and I still appreciate it. Ms. Lee will be missed. I have never read "Go Set a Watchman," but I will definitely pick up a copy. 

Edited February 22, 2016 by Former Member

[Zombie]

5 hours ago, darel aranovski said:

I really want to write something in the style of Harper

Then live an interesting life
have an interesting family
live in interesting times
have generous friends give you a year’s income to write
have the good fortune to stumble across an outstanding literary editor
Oh, and have a natural writing talent

She was a one-off 
Inimitable

[Krista]

Don't mind me, I had a significant blonde moment in making this original post.

Edited May 30, 2021 by Krista

[W_L]

7 hours ago, darel aranovski said:

Sorry! if I break the rules by leaving a post in the old thread. But I did not find a branch more precisely.
I really want to write something in the style of Harper. I really like "To Kill A Mockingbird" What was the inspiration for the Harper?
And most importantly. Are there contemporary authors who imitate him ??
Thank you as much as possible, in advance. 
🙏

Harper's style is based on the American Southern Gothic genre, normal spoken language of the locale, and settings that are personally based on one own experience.

As for characters, Harper had a really good background to create a novel, but she needed a great editor to help her focus her message. The Draft book Go Set a Watchmen was far different from what we as an audience ultimately got, it was darker and character such as Atticus Finch were their polar opposites (Pragmatic traditional instead of honorably progressive). Part of the the story's success is due to Tay Hohoff, her editor, who helped shape the early draft's anecdotes and lack of strong moral center to what we nowaday praise as one of the best American novels of the 20th Century.

You don't need to write with a southern drawl or New England alliteration to create stories like To Kill a Mockingbird, just be honest about yourself, your life, and the challenges you face. Then, find a writing partner aka an editor, who can channel your creative impulses and build a story from a draft.

I know my stories without an editor are murky and labyrinth-like, filled with great ideas just unfocused like most writers, in order to bring out the best in me, I need an editor to help focus ideas. I can help others focus their ideas and story elements, too, but I can't be unbias towards my own creation and require lens of another viewpoints to help

As @Kristanoted, if you haven't done so you should think about joining the Writer's Circle, we discuss everything in there concerning story elements, characters, and themes.

[W_L]

3 hours ago, darel aranovski said:

HERE is what I need. you put together in one sentence everything that I collected in two months. Now I am more confident in my plan. Thank you. Of course, finding an editor is still difficult. But I went in the right direction.
Thank you.

Glad to help,

I love reading and writing. I hope you will continue to develop your story and eventually share with others.