Here’s an author who has staunchly refused interviews and publicity since 1960, who hasn’t breathed a word about her interest in publishing another book to either family or friends, but who is suddenly fine with releasing her decades-old Mockingbird prequel, despite the fact that it doesn’t sound like anyone at her publisher has actually been in touch with her about it? This brings up questions! This is the most madness-inducing interview I have read in I don’t know how long.
The day after the big announcement of Harper Lee’s forthcoming second novel, Mallory Ortberg raises some questions about the answers given by Lee’s editor in his interview with Vulture.
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All the writing about Harper Lee’s “Go Set A Watchman” has gotten me thinking of something different than the typical conjecture on the timing of this novel’s release. Please indulge my take on this matter.
About ten days ago I drove to Monroeville, which is about two hours north of where I live. I was facilitating a workman’s comp. patient to attend a medical appointment in Mobile. I had never been to Monroeville before, and like other new places I have experienced, certain sights came to my attention. One is the courthouse at the near dead center of town. It sits on a crossroads so that to go north or south, east or west, you have to drive around it. I was told that every year T.K.A.M. is played out on the square and inside the courtroom. There are a few small storefront businesses around the square as well, but otherwise, to my eyes, the town is rather depressing and dilapidated. There are a couple of large motels (The Mockingbird Suites) on the state highway at the southern edge of town, for literature tourists. The other more remarkable sight for me was a half fallen over peeling metal historic marker announcing Former Home of Truman Capote (or something to that effect). The lot (on a main street) that the sign sits on is weed strewn with nothing left on it but a crumbled brick foundation. Another important and famous writer from the same town gets that treatment. Oh, but he was openly gay. That does not play well in rural Alabama. So Ms. Lee’s extremely private life, having chosen to return to stay in such a town, (vs. Capote’s leaving) leaves me wondering. Just recently, same sex marriage was made legal in Alabama. Since Ms. Lee wrote about and became famous for her racial civil rights book…could it be that this next book may be about sexual civil rights? Just wondering….
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