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Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird (P.S.)

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For many of us, our first exposure of the landmark novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was in high school, as an assignment. For others, it was a recommendation from a friend, or a book group novel. However we come to Harper Lee's book "To Kill a Mockingbird", we never leave the book the same person. It crawls up inside of our brains, wraps itself around our hearts, and refuses to let go. leaving a lifetime of legacy, and remembrance, and reflection. Mary McDonagh Murphy's new book, based on a documentary she is working on, allows us to visit this place anew.

This book has two parts. The first part is a reflection of Murphy herself. Truly a devotee of the novel, Murphy talks about both the documentary and her thoughts about the movie and the book. Murphy writes her section with love and admiration, starting with Nelle herself. Nelle calls herself Boo Radley, and Murphy goes to great pains in the following paragraphs to assure us that Nelle is a warm gregarious person. Most of the information in Murphy's section isn't new, but it's still welcome nonetheless.

The following section is a collection of small essays written by a wide variety of people that all discuss the impact and legacy of Mockingbird. Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brokaw, and even the movie Scout Mary Badham all add their voices to this part (Badham confessing that she hadn't read the book until she had a daughter herself!). These essays are short and poignant, and talk very personally about how the book touched them, as well as reflected the larger struggle for civil rights in our country.

Nelle didn't write her second book, and America has been hungry ever since. This small book is highly recommended to celebrate 50 years of this classic novel. In the meantime, do what author Wally Lamb suggests in his foreward, watch the movie and read the book as well. We cannot visit Maycomb enough. We cannot sit on the Finch porch long enough. We cannot ever be tired of listening to Atticus defend Tom Robinson. We cannot let Mockingbird go. We will not let Mockingbird go.

I only wish I had turned 50 with as much grace, spirit,
and adulation as To Kill A Mockingbird. In her thoughtful
appreciation of the artistry and significance of this beloved
novel, Mary Murphy puts it all together: capturing the
wonder so many of us felt when we first read it through
the reflections of some of our country's most gifted writers,
thinkers and celebrities.
"Scout, Atticus and Boo" reminds us why: why a good book
is such a gift; why this book is so important in our nation's
history; why the world's a better place when a young Southern
unknown employed behind an airline ticket counter can come
up with a literary work of staggering relevance and beauty;
and finally, why we should all stop our crazy lives right this
minute, pull To Kill A Mockingbird off the shelves, and dive in.

Mary McDonagh Murphy presents a series of reflections on "To Kill a Mockingbird" in her non-fiction work, "Scout, Atticus, and Boo."

The reflections are are set forth in chapters, some from Nelle Harper Lee's family (Alice Finch Lee); many from other authors (Wally Lamb, Anna Quindlen); some from those associated with the film (Mary Badham, who played Scout); and some from a variety of fields from Oprah to the curator of the Monroe County Heritage Museum in Monroeville, Alabama.

Each of the essays brings out something in "To Kill a Mockingbird" that touched that particular reader. There are some who loved Scout passionately for her pluck (even those who thought Scout was a boy for several pages on first reading, an error common to many of us) and others who find the moral center of Atticus to be the resounding inspiration. I loved the lines from Allan Gurganus, who notes what a difference Eisenhower or Jack Kennedy might have made, if either had walked alone up the school house steps, holding the hand of a little black girl, as Atticus walks alone in the novel. Murphy allows the interviewees the latitude to share in their own voices the extraordinary impact of "To Kill a Mockingbird" on their lives. "Scout, Atticus, and Boo" affirmed my own love of "To Kill a Mockingbird," the joy of teaching this novel, reading it aloud, and how much I have missed that part of my teaching career since retirement.

Many of the interviews note the public's fascination with Ms. Lee's seemingly reclusive lifestyle, her unwillingness to be interviewed, and the fact that she has not published a second novel. In this way, "Scout, Atticus, and Boo" is somewhat repetitive, especially since Wally Lamb's foreword and the first chapter carry many of the same quotations from the coming essays. And yet, the reader is reminded of the impact of Lee's achievement for all these fifty years since the book was first published.

Truman Capote (Dill in the book) and Horton Foote (screenwriter for the film) carry a linked presence to Harper Lee, and each writer's role is discussed in terms of Lee's writing. The rift between Lee and Capote is compelling as is the friendship and trust between Lee and her screenwriter, Foote. The gentleman, Gregory Peck, also draws our regard in his good manners and deep caring for those who made the film with him; and for Lee, who made the film possible.

What this book does not do is is rightfully missing: it does not toss around gossip about the author or the film stars; it does not offer strange correlations between residents of Monroeville and the characters, and it does not present odd new themes or symbols in a deconstructionist university theory of literature. Instead, it invites us to ponder the achievement and beauty of a national treasure and to revisit the pages of "To Kill a Mockingbird," picking up the details others have pointed out as life-changing to them. Murphy's "Scout, Atticus, and Boo" urges us to look at the America we once were and the America we are now, not simply in terms of race relations, but also in our ideas of small-town life, neighborliness, manners, and parenting.

"Scout, Atticus, and Boo," a slim volume of 215 pages. It is exactly what it says it is, "A CELEBRATION."

Sometimes the most frustrating thing about a great book is that it has to end. I've read To Kill a Mockingbird several times and every time I wish the book were longer, or there was a sequel, or anything else that could expand the experience. That's why Mary Murphy's book is so wonderful -- readers get to luxuriate in interviews and insights that enlighten and entertain, so much so that reading the novel for the umpteenth time will be different, and perhaps, even better.

After reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" you always wish for more. Mary McDonagh Murphy's book beautifully fills that little hole in your heart. Her book makes you feel like you're talking with an old friend about a subject you both love. My teenage daughter read "To Kill a Mockingbird" and after all this time, some of the history was lost on her. Murphy's book helped her understand what an important, brave book this was. "Scout, Atticus and Boo" makes a thoughtful gift not only for Mockingbird fans but to the next wave of readers and their teachers.

Having read "To Kill a Mockingbird" several times, since first becoming captivated by the book in high school, I figured I knew pretty much all there was to know about this national treasure of a novel. But just a few pages into Mary McDonagh Murphy's "Scout, Atticus, and Boo: A Celebration of Fifty Years of To Kill a Mockingbird," I realized how wrong I was. Murphy's book is built around interviews with a remarkable cross section of people -- writers, celebrities, historians and more. Their insights into Mockingbird allow us to re-read this classic novel through their eyes, giving us the chance to experience it from many different perspectives. Several of the interviews are quite moving and emotional, and help explain why Mockingbird is still as fresh and vital on its 50th anniversary as it was when it was first published. While devoted fans of Mockingbird will find Murphy's book fascinating, it's also a must read for those who haven't yet had a chance to experience the masterpiece. They are in for a treat! And so are book clubs, teachers, and the rest of us.

Mary McDonagh Murphy's SCOUT, ATTICUS & BOO clebrates the fiftieth anniversay of the publication of Harper Lee's enduring TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Ms. Murphy writes her thoughts on the novel, along with photographs, and then includes essays by 26 individuals, some of them famous, some of them not-- writers, celebrities and citizens of Monroeville, Alabama, Ms. Lee's hometown. Richard Russo, Mark Childress, Lee Smith, Adriana Trigiani, Scott Turow, Anna Quindlen, Wally Lamb, Rick Bragg, Allan Gurganus, Jon Meacham, James McBride are the writers who contribute their comments to the book. Also included are Ms. Lee's older sister, Alice Finch Lee, who though now in her 90's, still practices law in Monroeville, the Reverend Thomas Lane Butts, the Lee family's pastor for many years, Oprah Winfrey, Andrew Young, Rosanne Cash, Tom Brokow et al.

A common thread runs through many of the essays. Almost everyone remembers when he or she first read the novel, they discuss the excellence of the film and the genius of Horton Foote, the friendship of Lee and Truman Capote-- Capote (Dill) usually comes off looking bad because of his wasted life-- practically all the contributors have their own theories as to why Lee never published a second novel, many of the writers have read the novel many times and English teachers-- from middle school to college level-- have always included this book in their classes. And the citizens of Monroeville, Alabama, to a person, are fiercely protective of Ms. Lee's privacy and would never give a gawking tourist directions to the writer's home. (It is indeed sad that Ms. Lee had to stop autographing books at the local bookstore because greedy purchasers were buying them and then selling them on eBay at a much inflated price.) Of course almost everyone discusses the significance this novel had on the whole issue of race and integration. Mark Childress even compares its influence to UNCLE TOM'S CABIN.

Like fine literature the world over, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD means different things to different people, and its readers continue to find new meaning and nuances with each reading. Oprah Winfrey calls it our national novel. (With all her talents of persuasion, she was unable to get Harper Lee to be interviewed on her show. This of course is the same woman who managed to get the woman whose face was practically torn away by an ape to remove the veil that covered her face-- or so I'm told-- on her television show.) Mark Childress, who was born in Monroeville, Alabama, says reading TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD convinced him he could become a writer. Lee Smith says that reading this book changed her life. Allan Gurganus calls the novel "a book of a great writer." He goes on to say that it will last while Truman Capote's works will not and reminds us that the stoned Capote would grope him and other young attractive men at Studio 54. When Gurganus discusses why Lee never wrote another novel-- or at least never published one, he says that although he hasn't had a book out in 4 or 5 years, that he has "beautiful things" that he will someday publish. (We can only hope it's sooner rather than later.) James McBride is flattered that people compare his THE COLOR OF WATER, a book I liked tremdously, to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and says that he could not have written his book if he had not read Ms. Lee's. On the other hand, he does not find her a brave writer but a brilliant one.

Many of the women contributors identify with Scout. Anna Quindlen doesn't "give a rip" about Atticus-- for my money, that's a tad harsh-- but finds the book "all about Scout." Scott Turow, however, a lawyer himself, finds much to admire in Atticus, saying that although the character didn't inspire him to be an attorney, Atticus was the earliest example of someone who did pro bono work. "I promised myself that when I grew up and I was a man, I would try to do things just as good and noble as what Atticus had done for Tom Robinson." Other writers discussed the importance of family. Richard Russo maintains that this reading this novel again and again "aided me in writing all of my father/daughter stuff, all my family stuff, because that is a quintessential American family. even though it's not typical." The strangest essay by far is that of Andrew Young, who says that he doesn't read fiction and hasn't read this novel. On the other hand, thousands of people are in a "Catch-22" position or quote from 1984, although they have never read either of these two seminal works so Mr. Young is in good company.

Yes, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD continues to inspire and influence each new generation. The great transplanted Australian writer Peter Carey in his book about taking his twelve-year-old son to Japan says that the lad was reading this novel. And one of my favorite local restaurants is the OK Cafe named after the cafe in the novel. The owner has a framed letter from Ms. Lee displayed prominently near the front of restaurant in which she thanks him for naming the cafe after her fictional one.

It's wonderful to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird on its 50th birthday, but you won't get a sense of its importance to our American character without reading Scout, Atticus, and Boo as well. Mary Murphy has given the novel context and history, reminding us what a bold book Mockingbird was, coming out of the South during the Jim Crow era. With the help of a stunning chorus of writers, public figures, civil rights activists, and intimates of Harper Lee (Anna Quindlen, Scott Turow, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brokaw, Andrew Young, and Lee's sister and minister, to name a few, each a passionate, articulate, and uniquely observant reader of the book) Murphy makes the persuasive case that To Kill a Mockingbird is our great American novel.

I am old enough to have been a college student when To Kill a Mockingbird was published in the summer of 1960. I can even recall where I was when a lovely elderly lady standing on her front porch in a picturesque Vermont town said I should definitely read, "This book." And she handed it to me. I do recall being completely taken by the way the novel opened. I had just returned for the summer from my first year at American University where for the first time in my life I was surrounded by people referred to in the then most polite term as Negroes. They, of course, worked in the cafeteria, washed the floors, cleaned the bathrooms, moved the lawns, drove the city buses... And I felt conflicted because racism was not just a southern phenomena. Oh,no, my mother, born and raised in Vermont, used "the n word" only. But this lovely elderly lady who handed me the newly released Harper Lee novel was not.
Then I became an English teacher. And this is a novel I read again and again as I guided students through it. And every time I did, I found myself related to Dill, thinking about how much he was like me. I didn't exactly say to myself "because he is a little homosexual boy" because back then I didn't want to admit to myself who I was/who I am.
And fortunately in this book the author has acknowledged that, not that this is the first time I have read this.
This is a wonderful book for anyone who is completely in love with what may be America's most well-known and often read novel, Nelle Harper Lee's only published work.
In this book a wide variety of people have been interviewed. And what is so special is this: each one finds something different to love about the book.
What a wonderful gift to all of us who have loved this book for a half century. I am going to be giving this book as a gift to some of my most special friends and relatives.

I absolutely love To Kill a Mockingbird. For good reason it has become a classic and celebrates its 50th year. This book, however, Scout, Atticus & Boo, is a great disappointment.

Scout, Atticus & Boo evidently evolved from a series of interviews conducted by Mary McDonagh Murphy for a documentary. Her choice of interviewees is, across the board, first-rate; from actress Mary Badham ("Scout") to Harper Lee's sister, Alice Finch Lee, to former ambassador and congressman Andrew Young. Not surprisingly, many of the interviewees said a lot of the same things about To Kill a Mockingbird. Many of them shared the same opinions of the characters, the plot, and the time and place in which the book is set. There are some poignant comments and some fascinating insights, but overall one feels as if one is reading the same thing over and over, making this a rather unsatisfying read. While listening and watching some of these people speaking in a documentary would be interesting, reading their somewhat disjointed commentary is awkward and clunky. This could have been avoided with some sharp and concise editing.

Editing seems to have been tossed aside for this book in other areas as well. While spell-check can often be our friend in emails, it does not substitute for the trained eye of an editor in published material. Usage of "then" instead of the appropriate "than" in a quote from Mary Badham is just inexcusable: "Scout was a lot smarter then I was. She's a lot smarter then a lot of adults I know."

I looked forward to reading Scout, Atticus & Boo after my latest rereading of To Kill a Mockingbird. I'm sorry to say that this book, which held so much promise and which could have been a great read, is instead a great waste of time and money.