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Harper Lee was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926 in the town of Monroeville, Alabama. She was the youngest of her parents three children. "Lee's father was a lawyer and a member of the Alabama State Legislature. Her mother was mentally unwell and mostly stayed inside the house," (Harper Lee). Her childhood was spent in this small town, running around with her close friend Truman Capote and being considered a tomboy. "Unlike girls of her age, Lee was tough as boys and always stood up for Truman when he was being picked on...Their exemplary childhood companionship was to grow stronger into a lifelong friendship," (Harper Lee).
She went to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama and then later enrolled in the University of Alabama and studied law from 1945-1949. During her studies she also continued pursuing her interesting writing and wrote for the school magazine, Rammer Jammer. She went to Oxford University for one year, but returned to the United States where she lived in New York and worked on her writing. "It is during her time in New York that she wrote and finished the manuscript of To Kill a Mocking Bird in 1959," (Harper Lee). |
To Kill a Mockingbird was published in 1960, and Lee became a literary legend overnight. She won many awards for her novel including a Pulitzer Prize in 1961. Later in life she was award the Presidental Medal of Freedom in 2007, and in 2010 she was awarded the National Medal of the Arts. "Ms. Lee gained a reputation as a lterary Garbo, a recluse whose public appearances to accept an award or an honorary degree counted as important news simply because of their rarity. On such occassions she did not speak, other than to say a brief thank you," (Grimes).
She passed away February 19, 2016 in her sleep in an assisted living home. She was 89.
Sources:
Grimes, W. (2016). Harper Lee, Author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Dies at 89. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/20/arts/harper-lee-dies.html?_r=0.
Harper Lee. (2012). FamousAurthors.org. December 6, 2016. from http://www.famousauthors.org/harper-lee.
She passed away February 19, 2016 in her sleep in an assisted living home. She was 89.
Sources:
Grimes, W. (2016). Harper Lee, Author of 'To Kill a Mockingbird,' Dies at 89. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/20/arts/harper-lee-dies.html?_r=0.
Harper Lee. (2012). FamousAurthors.org. December 6, 2016. from http://www.famousauthors.org/harper-lee.