A school district in Biloxi, Mississippi, recently made waves when it decided to pull Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird from required reading in its school. The reason? The language made students “uncomfortable.” Banning books has long been a problem in the United States and one that (justifiably) infuriates the general public. If we are a…
It may just be impossible to consider classic American literature without delving into the story of To Kill a Mockingbird. Written by Harper Lee and published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the most well-known and impactful works of literature within the last century, and arguably on a more historical level as well. The…
Read More "Understanding “To Kill a Mockingbird”: Top Q&A from Students"
We've decided to compile some of the best lines from To Kill a Mockingbird—inarguably one of the most influential and important novels in our lifetime. These lines, in context and out, are simultaneously ethereal and grounded, simple and complex. Lee's legacy in TKAM will be continuing to show students and readers about the importance of love, tolerance, and friendship. Rest…
Read More "8 To Kill a Mockingbird Quotes that Exemplify Harper Lee’s Legacy"
Fellow literature lovers, take a small sigh of Scout Finch-deprived relief. We've all been holding our breath since Harper Lee's announcement of Go Set a Watchman early February. This book comes more than 50 years after everyone's favorite English class novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Lee's second novel is scheduled for release July 14, and the first chapter (excerpt below) has been…
Read More "Chapter One Unveiled for Harper Lee’s Wildly Anticipated “Go Set a Watchman: A Novel”"
If you've waited to celebrate the chance to be Officially Subversive during Banned Books Week, it's not too late! Sure, you probably figured that Huck Finn is a perennial favorite for its politically incorrect language and Fifty Shades of Grey for its Crimes Against Ink and Trees, but I am willing to bet there are quite a few…
One has to wonder just what sort of a creep you're dealing with when the "alleged" creep decides to try to bilk money out of one of America's most beloved, aging novelists. Harper Lee, whose 1961 novel To Kill a Mockingbird was an immediate popular and critical success, remains a best-seller, and is on many a high…
Read More "To Kill a(n)… Agent?: Harper Lee Sues to Regain Copyright of Her Famous Novel"
Last night, I found my sixteen-year-old daughter in bed a full hour early. In her hands was Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird. "I want to see what is happening with Scout. I'm worried about her," she explained. My daughter, like millions of other readers, has become enthralled by the coming-of-age story of Scout…
