Harper-Lee介绍

HarperLeeLeeonNovember5,2007BornNelleHarperLeeApril28,1926Monroeville,Alabama,U.S.DiedFebruary19,2016(aged89)Monroeville,Alabama,U.S.PennameHarperLeeOccupationNovelistNationalityAmericanPeriod1960–2016GenreLiterature,fictionLiterarymovementSouthernGothicNotableworksToKillaMockingbirdGoSetaWatchmanSignatureNelleHarperLee(April28,1926–February19,2016),betterknownbyherpennameHarperLee,wasanAmericannovelistwidelyknownforToKillaMockingbird,publishedin1960.Immediatelysuccessful,itwonthe1961PulitzerPrizeandhasbecomeaclassicofmodernAmericanliterature.ThoughLeehadonlypublishedthissinglebook,in2007shewasawardedthePresidentialMedalofFreedomforhercontributiontoliterature.[1]Additionally,Leereceivednumeroushonorarydegrees,thoughshedeclinedtospeakonthoseoccasions.ShewasalsoknownforassistingherclosefriendTrumanCapoteinhisresearchforthebookInColdBlood(1966).[2]CapotewasthebasisforthecharacterDillinToKillaMockingbird.[3]TheplotandcharactersofToKillaMockingbirdarelooselybasedonLee'sobservationsofherfamilyandneighbors,aswellasaneventthatoccurrednearherhometownin1936,whenshewas10yearsold.ThenoveldealswiththeirrationalityofadultattitudestowardsraceandclassintheDeepSouthofthe1930s,asdepictedthroughtheeyesoftwochildren.ThenovelwasinspiredbyracistattitudesinherhometownofMonroeville,Alabama.Anothernovel,GoSetaWatchman,waswritteninthemid-1950sandpublishedinJuly2015asasequel,thoughitwaslaterconfirmedtobeToKillaMockingbird'sfirstdraft.[4][5][6]ToKillaMockingbirdIneverexpectedanysortofsuccesswithMockingbird.Iwashopingforaquickandmercifuldeathatthehandsofthereviewersbut,atthesametime,Isortofhopedsomeonewouldlikeitenoughtogivemeencouragement.Publicencouragement.Ihopedforalittle,asIsaid,butIgotratherawholelot,andinsomewaysthiswasjustaboutasfrighteningasthequick,mercifuldeathI'dexpected.— HarperLee,quotedinNewquist,1964[14]In1949,LeemovedtoNewYorkCityandtookajobasanairlinereservationagent,writingfictioninhersparetime.[8]Havingwrittenseverallongstories,LeefoundanagentinNovember1956.Thefollowingmonth,atMichaelBrown'sEast50thStreettownhouse,shereceivedagiftofayear'swagesfromfriendswithanote:Youhaveoneyearofffromyourjobtowritewhateveryouplease.MerryChristmas.[15]OriginInthespringof1957,a31-year-oldLeedeliveredthemanuscriptforGoSetaWatchmantoheragenttosendouttopublishers,includingthenow-defunctJ.B.LippincottCompany,whicheventuallyboughtit.[16]AtLippincott,thenovelfellintothehandsofTheresevonHohoffTorrey—knownprofessionallyasTayHohoff.Ms.Hohoffwasimpressed.[T]hesparkofthetruewriterflashedineveryline,shewouldlaterrecountinacorporatehistoryofLippincott.[16]ButasMs.Hohoffsawit,themanuscriptwasbynomeansfitforpublication.Itwas,asshedescribedit,moreaseriesofanecdotesthanafullyconceivednovel.[16]Duringthenextcoupleofyears,sheledLeefromonedrafttothenextuntilthebookfinallyachieveditsfinishedformandwasretitledToKillaMockingbird.[16]Likemanyunpublishedauthors,Ms.Leewasunsureofhertalents.“Iwasafirst-timewriter,soIdidasIwastold,”Ms.Leesaidinastatementin2015abouttheevolutionfromWatchmantoMockingbird.[16]Ms.HohoffoffersamoredetailedcharacterizationoftheprocessintheLippincottcorporatehistory:“Afteracoupleoffalsestarts,thestory-line,interplayofcharacters,andfallofemphasisgrewclearer,andwitheachrevision—thereweremanyminorchangesasthestorygrewinstrengthandinherownvisionofit—thetruestatureofthenovelbecameevident.”(In1978,LippincottwasacquiredbyHarper&Row,whichbecameHarperCollins,publisherofWatchman.)[16]Thereappearedtobeanaturalgiveandtakebetweenauthorandeditor.“Whenshedisagreedwithasuggestion,wetalkeditout,sometimesforhours,”Ms.Hohoffwrote.“Andsometimesshecamearoundtomywayofthinking,sometimesItohers,sometimesthediscussionwouldopenupanentirelynewlineofcountry.”[16]AsforherrelationshipwithMs.Lee,it’sclearthatMs.Hohoffprovidedmorethanjusteditorialguidance.Onewinternight,asCharlesJ.ShieldsrecountsinMockingbird:APortraitofHarperLee,Ms.Leethrewhermanuscriptoutherwindowandintothesnow,beforecallingMs.Hohoffintears.“Taytoldhertomarchoutsideimmediatelyandpickupthepages,”Mr.Shieldswrites.[16]Whenthenovelwasfinallyready,theauthoroptedtousethenameHarperLee,ratherthanriskhavingherfirstnameNellebemisidentifiedasNellie.[17]PublishedJuly11,1960,ToKillaMockingbirdwasanimmediatebestsellerandwongreatcriticalacclaim,includingthePulitzerPrizeforFictionin1961.Itremainsabestseller,withmorethan30millioncopiesinprint.In1999,itwasvotedBestNoveloftheCenturyinapollbytheLibraryJournal.[18]AutobiographicaldetailsinthenovelLikeLee,thetomboyScoutofthenovelisthedaughterofarespectedsmall-townAlabamaattorney.Scout'sfriend,Dill,wasinspiredbyLee'schildhoodfriendandneighbor,TrumanCapote;[10]Lee,inturn,isthemodelforacharacterinCapote'sfirstnovel,OtherVoices,OtherRooms,publishedin1948.AlthoughtheplotofLee'snovelinvolvesanunsuccessfullegaldefensesimilartooneundertakenbyherattorneyfather,the1931landmarkScottsboroBoysinterracialrapecasemayalsohavehelpedtoshapeLee'ssocialconscience.[19]WhileLeeherselfdownplayedautobiographicalparallelsinthebook,TrumanCapote,mentioningthecharacterBooRadleyinToKillaMockingbird