theavc:R.I.P. Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird Nelle Harper Lee, the author whose monum
theavc: R.I.P. Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mockingbird Nelle Harper Lee, the author whose monumental work To Kill A Mockingbird became an American classic, has died. She was 89. Lee’s landmark book, a permanent fixture in most school curricula, is an indelible touchstone of Americana, to say nothing of its excellent qualities as a novel, of which there are many. In his review of Go Set A Watchmen for The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik wrote, “Harper Lee did for Maycomb (her poeticized version of her hometown, Monroeville, Alabama) what J.D. Salinger did for Central Park—made it a permanent amphitheatre of American adolescence. One realizes with a slight, shamed start that we would now condescend to this kind of effort as belonging merely to a Y.A., or young adult, novel.” The fact that many first encounter her book at a young age means her lyrical writing imprints itself that much more firmly upon the still-developing psyche. Read the full obituary at avclub.com -- source link