Blinkoff,+Grace

Author Project Sites:

1) Authors and Artists for Young Adults-Volume 13 pg. 103 2) [] 3) []



BIBLIOGRAPHIES

"Harper Lee (bio)." harperlee.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . Unfortunately, I couldn't find some of the information (author, publisher, etc) about this website. However, I was able to collect a lot of information from it. Apparently, Harper was 34 when her one and only novel was published (To Kill a Mockingbird). In 1959, she accompanied Truman Capote to Holcombe, Kansas as a research assistant for his novel, In cold Blood. Even though I already read To Kill a Mockingbird, this website talked about the details of Harper's book. The story is narrated by Scout, a tomboy just like Harper herself, and lives with her father and older brother. With help from their good friend, Dill, they figure out the story behind "dangerous" Boo Radley, a mysterious man who lives next door. While the three children are constantly sneaking out at night to spy on Boo, Scout's father is teased for defending a black man who is convicted by the white jury for raping a white woman.

"Harper Lee Biography." www.bio.truestory. A & E Television Networks, 1996-2011. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find some of the information (author, publisher etc) about this website. I did find out that Harper grew up as a tomboy in a small town, and is the youngest of four children. Harper studied law in college, but moved to NYC in order to pursue her writing career. In the mid 1960's, Harper was assumed to be working on a second novel, though nothing more was heard of it. Friends, Michael and Joy Brown were major contributors to Harper's success. They helped her financially for one year so that she could focus on her writing, and connected her with her own publisher. Harper is currently living a quiet life in NYC and Monroeville, avoiding public life.

Hile, Kevin. Authors and Artists for Young Adults (Volume 13). Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 1994. Print. Authors and Artists for Young Adults (volume 13) included a lot of basic information on Harper Lee such as her birthplace (Monroeville, Alabama) and the many awards she won for her one and only novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Since I didn't have much time to look at this encyclopedia, I wasn't able to collect a ton of information, but I did find out that Harper is interested in golf and music as well as literature, of course. To Kill a Mockingbird was published n 1960, and adapted into the screen in 1962.

1/10/11 Research Project Draft Harper Lee Born on April 28th, 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama, the great author was born as Nelle Harper Lee, daughter of mother Amasa Coleman and father Frances Finch Lee. Harper Lee grew up as the youngest of four children; a tomboy in a small town. Her father was a lawyer and her mother suffered from a mental illness and rarely left the house. Harper first became interested in literature in high school. From this early love of writing, she developed into the author of the famous novel __To Kill a Mockingbird__. Even though Harper spent much of her time writing, she left times when she could relax and be free from the long hours at her typewriter, playing golf and creating and listening to music. She attended Huntington College in Montgomery, Alabama from 1944 to 1945, an all female college, the University of Alabama from 1945 to 1949, and lastly, Oxford University for one year. During Harper’s stay at the University of Alabama, she became the editor of the “Rammer Jammer”, the college newspaper. She studied law as well as literature, but decided to move to New York City in order to pursue her writing career. There, after a brief job working for airlines, Harper was supported by friends’ Michael and Joy Brown who helped her write full time, finding Harper her very own publisher as well. In 1959, she accompanied Truman Capote, a friend from her youth and a soon to be famous author, to Holcombe, Kansas as a research assistant for Capote’s classic non-fiction novel __In Cold Blood.__ Harper was angry after finding that Capote did not give credit to her work in his novel, but went on to publishing her first and only novel __To Kill a Mockingbird__ at the age of thirty-four in 1960. In 1962, __To Kill a Mockingbird__ became an international bestseller, and was adapted onto the screen. Harper’s popular book was written from the perspective of Scout, a tomboy just like herself, living with her father and brother in Macomb, Alabama along with their friend, Dill. In the dead of night, the three children sneak next door to spy on the house of Boo Radley, suspected to be extremely “dangerous.” Scout’s father, Atticus, is teased for defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who supposedly raped a white woman, Mayella. Even though Tom was innocent, he was convicted by the white jury. In the story, the character of Dill is based on Truman Capote’s visits during the summers. The entire plot of the novel, however, is based on Harper’s personal life as a child. __To Kill a Mockingbird__ won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961, the Brotherhood Award, the National Conference Award of Christians and Jews, the Library Association Award, the Paperback of the Year Award, and the Bestseller Award in 1962. Harper was assumed to be working on a second novel in the mid 1960’s, though nothing more was heard about it. Harper Lee continues t o live a quiet life in New York City and Monroeville, avoiding public life.