To Kill a Mockingbird, a Tribute to a Classic
To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the novel To Kill a Mockingbird we asked Fictionista Workshop readers to tell us what the book meant to them and what they would say to Harper Lee given the opportunity.
J.M. Kelley had this to say:
What does the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, mean to you? What significance does it hold?
To Kill a Mockingbird was the book that started my love affair with the written word. I read voraciously as a child, but once I picked up Mockingbird, a true addict was born. Never before or since have I pictured the story, the setting, and the characters so vividly in my mind. Harper Lee’s words struck a chord in me that I probably could never describe accurately. I believe I’ve read Mockingbird at least twenty times in my life, and each time, I feel like it’s all unfolding before me for the first time. When I read the last line, the old familiar ache sets in, because I actually miss Scout, Jem, and Atticus when I’ve closed the book.
What would you ask or say to Harper Lee if you had the opportunity?
I blame Harper Lee for all the money I’ve spent over the years on books, especially fresh copies of Mockingbird when it’s time to replace the current copy I’ve worn to shreds. I also blame her for sparking my love of writing and the complete novel I have sitting on my hard drive. I should probably have a thousand things I’d ask her if I had the chance, but in the end, I think I’d just love to have the chance to say ‘Thank you.’
Thank you J.M. Kelley for sharing with us.
If you would like to win your own copy of the fiftieth anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird, please leave a comment in any post relating to the novel and your name will be entered into a random drawing.
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