4th-Harper+Lee


 * Harper Lee **

Background Nelle Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926. When she was young she was quite the tomboy who loved to read and would often defend her less social friend, Truman Capote. Truman was her best friend and neighbor, who protrays the role of Dill in To Kill A Mocking Bird. Her father was a lawyer and a news paper writer on the side. He also served as a state legislature. When Lee was five years old when trials began regarding the rape of two white women and nine black men. As it turned out, the women weren't really raped, but the black men were still found guilty and sentenced to death except the youngest. Six years later all but one man was freed or paroled. Lee studied at Huntington College in Mountgomery and then proceeded to get her law degree at The University Of Alabama. She also studied at Oxford University in England for one year. She worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern Airlines in New York city.

Career Lee published her first and only novel in 1960, To Kill A Mocking Bird. In 1961 the book one the Pulitzer Price even though it got mixed reviews. Fifteen milliion copies were sold. The events were based off of Lee's personal experiances; even though she denies it. The book was made into a movie in 1962. Sence To Kill A Mocking bird was published Harper Lee has not shown up in any interviews or public appearances. Lee is not a fan of all the publicity she has gotten from her famous book. Some people say that is why she has not published any more books since.

​ Now Lee is now 84 years old in is living a quiet private life in New York City with her 94 year old sister. She is active in her community and in her church, but she still avoids anything to do with her popular book, To Kill A Mocking Bird. The picture to the right is a recent picture of Harper Lee signing autographs.

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