Alabama Authors – Harper Lee

“As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it – whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, he is trash.”

– Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Nelle Harper Lee only published one book, but what a book it was! The Pulitzer Prize winning To Kill a Mockingbird has more than 30 million copies in print and was voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a Library Journal poll.

Lee didn’t expect much from her novel. In fact, she said as much in a 1964 interview with Newquist.

“I never expected any sort of success with Mockingbird. I was hoping for a quick and merciful death at the hands of the reviewers but, at the same time, I sort of hoped someone would like it enough to give me encouragement. Public encouragement. I hoped for a little, as I said, but I got rather a whole lot, and in some ways this was just about as frightening as the quick, merciful death I’d expected.”

A quick and merciful death. We’re sure lucky that didn’t happen!

The central character of the story, Scout, is a tomboyish figure rather like Lee herself. Scout, with her brother Jem and their friend Dill (modeled after boyhood friend, Truman Capote), become fascinated with the mysterious town character, Boo Radley and attempt to lure him out of his seclusion.

More than a coming-of-age tale, To Kill a Mockingbird explores racial prejudice in the South. Atticus Finch, the attorney father of Scout and Jem goes against social mores and alienates a good portion of his neighbors when he defends a black man who was charged with raping a white woman.

A year after publication, the book won the Pulitzer Prize. Horton Foote went to work on a screenplay and the film was released in 1962. To Kill a Mockingbird received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Gregory Peck.

Harper Lee now lives in an assisted-living facility, partially blind and deaf. She once told a close friend why she never wrote another book. “Two reasons: one, I wouldn’t go through the pressure and publicity I went through with To Kill a Mockingbird for any amount of money. Second, I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again.”

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About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L. Wright is a storyteller with a lifetime of experiences as colorful as the characters he creates. Born and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Jim’s connection to the land, history, and people of the region runs deep. His debut novel New Yesterdays is set in his hometown, where he grew up listening to stories of the past—stories that sparked his imagination and curiosity for history. Today, Jim lives in Leeds, Alabama, with his husband Zeek, a tour operator who shares his passion for adventure and discovery. Known affectionately as “Ol’ Big Jim,” he has had a diverse career that includes time as a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a medical coder. There are even whispers—unconfirmed, of course—that he once played piano in a house of ill repute. No matter the job, one thing has remained constant: Jim is a teller of tales. His stories—sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking—are often inspired by his unique life experiences. Many of these tales can be found on his popular blog, Ol’ Big Jim, where he continues to share his musings with a loyal readership. Jim’s adventures have taken him far beyond Alabama. For seven years, he lived in Amman, Jordan, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. His time there, spent in smoky coffee shops, enjoying a hookah and a cup of tea while scribbling in his ever-present notebook, deeply influenced his worldview and his writing. When Jim isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. His stories, whether tall tales from his past or imaginative reimagining is of historical events should read from his past or imaginative reimaginings of historical events, reflect a life lived fully and authentically. With New Yesterdays, Jim brings readers a rich tapestry of history, fantasy, and human connection. Visit his blog at www.olbigjim.com to read more of his stories, or follow him on social media to keep up with his latest musings and projects, one of which is a series that follows Bonita McCauley, an amateur detective who gets into some very sticky situations. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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