Buzz
Harper Lee rose to literary fame with her Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece To Kill A Mockingbird. Despite her success, she opted for a quiet, reclusive life away from public attention until her passing in 2016 at the age of 89. Here are some intriguing details about the elusive writer.
1. She was born Nelle Harper Lee.
The name Nelle is derived from her grandmother’s name, Ellen, spelled backward. When publishing To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee decided to omit her first name to avoid the common mispronunciation “Nellie.”
2. Harper Lee nearly pursued a legal career.
Inspired by her father, Amasa Coleman Lee, who transitioned from teaching to practicing law, Lee enrolled in law school at the University of Alabama. However, she left six months before graduation, choosing to move to New York to focus on her writing aspirations.
3. Harper Lee supported herself by working as an airline ticket agent.
Lee took a position as a ticket clerk for Eastern Air Lines and British Overseas Airways, both based at New York’s Idlewild Airport (later renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963). She spent her free time working on the manuscript for To Kill a Mockingbird and other writing projects. Eventually, her close friends gifted her a life-changing Christmas present: enough money to cover a year’s salary, allowing her to dedicate herself fully to writing.
4. Harper Lee shared a lasting bond with Truman Capote.
Lee and Truman Capote became friends as kids while living next door to each other in Alabama. The character Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird was inspired by Capote, and he, in turn, relied on her help for research while writing In Cold Blood. In 1960, Lee penned her own piece about the Clutter murders, which were central to Capote's book. She wrote about Alvin Dewey, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent who handled the case, for Grapevine. However, her story was published without her byline, possibly to avoid overshadowing her friend's work.
5. Harper Lee envisioned Spencer Tracy as Atticus Finch.
While Gregory Peck is now synonymous with Atticus Finch in the 1962 film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee initially wanted Spencer Tracy for the role, believing he embodied the ideal image of a principled American. She even sent Tracy a letter urging him to accept the part, but he declined due to prior commitments. Peck ultimately took the role and earned an Academy Award for his portrayal.
6. Harper Lee released her second book at the age of 89.
For decades, it was believed that To Kill a Mockingbird would be Lee’s only novel. However, in 2015, HarperCollins published Go Set a Watchman, a rediscovered manuscript that served as a quasi-sequel to Mockingbird. The book became an immediate and divisive bestseller, sparking debates in the literary world. Interestingly, it was an early draft of Mockingbird, which her editors had encouraged her to revise and expand.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird ranks among the top-selling books in history.
Lee’s groundbreaking novel has surpassed 40 million copies in sales, placing it alongside bestsellers like V.C. Andrews’s Flowers in the Attic and Cosmos by Carl Sagan.
8. Harper Lee had a deep passion for sports.
During her time in New York City, she became a devoted Mets supporter. Even after moving back to Alabama, she frequently traveled to New York to catch games. Lee also claimed that golf helped her think clearly and described herself as a die-hard football enthusiast, particularly for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide.
This article was first published in 2021 and has been revised for 2022.
