Jump to content

Happy Birthday, Boo Radley


Lucky
This topic is 5556 days old and is no longer open for new replies.  Replies are automatically disabled after two years of inactivity.  Please create a new topic instead of posting here.  

Recommended Posts

Posted
The NY Times reports today on all the 50th birthday celebrations being planned for the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, and sure, it was one of Truman Capote's finest novels, but why do people keep wanting this Harper Lee woman to appear at the festivities?

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/books/25mock.html?ref=arts

 

Lucky, perhaps you're being tongue in cheek and I'm missing something. I believe that "To Kill A Mockingbird" was written by Harper Lee. The character of Dill was modeled on Lee's childhood friend Truman Capote.

Posted
and sure, it was one of Truman Capote's finest novels, but why do people keep wanting this Harper Lee woman to appear at the festivities?

 

ROFL

 

Tru would have done it either (1) 1000X better, or (2) tongue more definitively in cheek.

 

Remember Flannery O'Connor's priceless crack about TKAM: "It's interesting that all the folks that are buying it don't know they are buying a children's book."

Posted
Lucky, perhaps you're being tongue in cheek and I'm missing something. I believe that "To Kill A Mockingbird" was written by Harper Lee. The character of Dill was modeled on Lee's childhood friend Truman Capote.

 

There is a school of thought that believes the book was written by Truman Capote for his friend Harper, and that the reason she has not written another is because she can't. Her reluctance to appear as the author in public is because she knows that she is truly not the author. It will all come out after she dies.

Posted

I suppose, however, I find it difficult to believe. There are many one hit wonders. Salinger did write some short stories, but only one novel, and a slim one at that. He too was a recluse. If I out live Miss Lee I'll be curious to see how it all plays out. You've introduced me to a whole new conspiracy theory which is why I misunderstood the post. However, I'm inclined to agree with Dr. Flynt in his NPR interview:

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5244492

 

I think the bigger question is why? What's the motive? Does that mean her Pulitzer is invalid? Who cashed the royalty checks? Who did Paramount pay for the rights to make the movie? Capote was a fame *****. What would compel him to do such a thing and why would he need to? Wouldn't the editor at Harper's Publishing have caught on?

 

Not that Wikepedia is always a reliable source, but:

 

Canard of Capote authorship

Lee's childhood friend, author Truman Capote, wrote on the dust jacket of the first edition, "Someone rare has written this very fine first novel: a writer with the liveliest sense of life, and the warmest, most authentic sense of humor. A touching book; and so funny, so likeable."[101] This comment has been construed to suggest that Capote wrote the book or edited it heavily.[5] The only supporting evidence for this rumor is the 2003 report of a Tuscaloosa newspaper, which quoted Capote's biological father, Archulus Persons, as claiming that Capote had written "almost all" of the book.[102] The rumors were put to rest in 2006 when a Capote letter was donated to Monroeville's literary heritage museum. Writing to a neighbor in Monroeville in 1959, Capote mentioned that Lee was writing a book that was to be published soon. Extensive notes between Lee and her editor at Lippincott also refute the rumor of Capote's authorship.[103] Lee's older sister Alice has responded to the rumor, saying: "That's the biggest lie ever told."

Posted

hehehe...got you checking it out, huh? Of course my post was tongue in cheek, but I do think it is a fascinating rumor. Why didn't she write anything else? Of course, maybe she did and it sits in a drawer.

Posted

Going down memory lane on Southern Literature and Southern Gothic Literature of my youth!

 

I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" when I entered high school, and then remember surruptiously going to see the film because (heavens!!!) it had a bad rating from our Catholic "Legion of Decency" and why? Because it dealt with interracial rape! But to my young and uninformed chagrin, I could not for the life of me make out the Southern dialect of the courtroom

scene when people talked of "Did ya RAP that girl!?" (Ah... "rap" is southern for "rape"... Now I get it!)

 

Yes it was sad Harper Lee never published another novel like this one, a truly good story (and excellent film) with a great moral.

 

And then to bring up my ALL TIME FAVOURITE CATHOLIC SOUTHERN GOTHIC WRITER, herself, the inestimable Flannery O'Conner! Now there was a writer of rare genius. Imagine my young college-age shock to realize "Flannery" was a woman, and not a man!!! How could a woman write such biring and incisive social commentary??? (I grew up and matured and openned my opinion on women authors based on this experience of Flannery).

 

In the same group with be William Styron of "Sofie's Choice". Of course Truman Capote also fits in with this group as do many other great authors. It was a rare age in American writing!

Posted
There is a school of thought that believes the book was written by Truman Capote for his friend Harper, and that the reason she has not written another is because she can't. Her reluctance to appear as the author in public is because she knows that she is truly not the author. It will all come out after she dies.

 

hehehe...got you checking it out, huh? Of course my post was tongue in cheek, but I do think it is a fascinating rumor. Why didn't she write anything else? Of course, maybe she did and it sits in a drawer.

 

Ralph Ellison, "The Invisible Man" in 1953. That was his only novel and won the National Book Award. It had a tremendous social impact. He later wrote articles for Ebony and continued to work on a second novel. After his death, more manuscripts were discovered in his home, resulting in the publication of Flying Home: And Other Stories in 1996. In 1999, five years after his death, Ellison's second novel, Juneteenth (ISBN 0-394-46457-5), was published.

 

Yes, Lucky it got me to checking it out. Thank you.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...