Harper Lee

Jake ShoemakerSusan Pendleton

Nelle Harper Lee

• Born April 28, 1926 • Born in Monroeville Alabama• Youngest of four siblings• Father was a lawyer, part newspaper owner,

Alabama state legislator • Descendant of Confederate Civil War general

Robert E. Lee• Mother was bipolar

Life

• Tomboy like Scout• Developed interest in literature in High School• Attended all girls college at Huntingdon in

Montgomery• Transferred to University of Alabama in

Tuscaloosa• Flight attendant for a little while• Was going into law but dropped out of college

to write

To Kill a Mockingbird

• Published in 1960 when she was 34• Never been out of print since it was published• Shows prejudice, racism and injustice• Asks if human beings are good or evil by

nature

Post book• Gave almost no interviews or appearances• Published only a few short essays• Has been out of the public eye for over 40 years• Received 4 honorary doctorates• Appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to the national councilof arts• Received Pulitzer prize in 1961• Received Presidential Medal ofFreedom in 2007