Harper Lee

Harper Lee's life and career was largely defined by a single work about childhood - the 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She too spent most of her days in seclusion after the burst of acclaim that followed its publication, though from time to time, Lee emerged from her Alabama home to claim an award or tribute from an adoring public that gleaned so much about faith, family, the nature of hate and redemption, and ultimately, about life itself from her legendary book's pages. That adoration made it difficult for Lee to successfully produce a follow-up to Mockingbird, though her collaboration with childhood friend Truman Capote yielded another great work, 1966's In Cold Blood. Still, it was Mockingbird that summed up Lee for the world, and the greatness of the book ensured that her career, however brief, was as important and storied as the most prolific and accomplished of writers. Indeed, the 2015 release of another novel by Lee, Go Set A Watchman, was shrouded in controversy over whether Lee, 89 years old and known to be in poor health, had authorized its release. Nelle Harper Lee died in her sleep in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama, on February 19, 2016.