The Curious Case of Harper Lee

    Harper Lee has only ever had one published work. However, that one published work was an immediate hit that has won a Pulitzer Prize and is now considered to be one of the most influential and classic novels in American Literature. "To Kill A Mockingbird" is Harper Lee's claim to fame. But should she be considered a great American writer or is she just lucky, a one hit wonder, a fluke?
     From a glance, many would say yes. That Harper Lee wrote one great novel and could not ever match it or even come close and left the writing game for good. However looking at Harper Lee's life, I would argue differently. Like her childhood friend Truman Capote, who would also go on to become a well known American author, Lee grew up in Monroeville, Alabama. She attended University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and also studied at Oxford which is one of the most prestigious schools in the world. Her lack of early writings is not due to a lack of talent but more-so a lack of funding. She worked as a ticket agent and had very little free time to write. Once put up by her friend, famous composer Michael Martin Brown, Lee was able to write full time and not have to worry about working. During this time, she wrote the novel first entitled "Go Sell a Watchman" and then "Atticus" and finally "To Kill A Mockingbird". The book won the Pulitzer Prize in '61 and was turned into a film that won 4  major awards.
    After to Kill A Mockingbird, Lee worked on a few small projects with Truman Capote and only two other solo works that were never published. She retreat from the Public eye in the 1970's and has been seen or heard from very little since. She currently still lives in Monroeville and has a home in New York City. She avoids any acknowledgements or interviews regarding her single famous novel.
    Although Harper Lee has only published the one work, her education shows that she is very bright. Also her life struggles and lack of actually writing shows that when she had the time and the drive, she could create great things. Her masterpiece is one of the most revered and controversial in the history of American Literature. I doubt yet hope that she will ever write again, but either way her novel has been cemented as a great piece of American Literature and she as a great American writer.