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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 4 april 2018
Harper Lee letters offer candid takes on religion, family

By HILLEL ITALIE a Watchman," the precur- saw him hooked up to that
AP National Writer sor to "Mockingbird" that thing."
NEW YORK (AP) — Around unexpectedly came out in Lee avoided the media for
the same time "To Kill a 2015, through the early '60s much of her life, but in pri-
Mockingbird" made Harper and the release of "Mock- vate spoke her mind. She
Lee a best-selling author ingbird." They touch upon is candid and irreverent in
and Pulitzer Prize winner, everything from politics her letters as she mocks reli-
she was still fighting for cre- and writing to religion and gion, gets a kick out of Elvis
ative control. dating. They also describe Presley and knows well that
"I must say it's increasingly her caring for her ailing she stands apart from her
difficult for magazine ar- father, Amasa Coleman home community. In a let-
ticles to be written any oth- (A.C) Lee, the lawyer and ter dated "Sunday," she ex-
er way than a magazine newspaper man who was presses frustration that she
editor standing over your the basis for one of litera- can't work on her books
shoulder telling you what ture's most famous charac- in Monroeville, and longs
to write. You know how ters, Atticus Finch. to be back in New York,
well that sets with me," the "This correspondence from where she has "a chair, a
Monroeville, Alabama, na- Harper Lee provides won- table and a typewriter, and
tive wrote to her New York derful insight into her life no people."
friend Harold Caufield (af- during the critical years In this Aug. 20, 2007, file photo, author Harper Lee smiles during In one of her 1956 letters,
a ceremony honoring the four new members of the Alabama
fectionately referred to as when she wrote what Academy of Honor at the Capitol in Montgomery, Ala. she notes the romantic
"Darling Aitch"). The 1961 would be her only two nov- Associated Press interest of a Presbyterian
letter — the year after the els," Joseph Crespino, an minister, but adds that she's
book was published — told Emory professor and author even moved from New every day like he has this "just not up to it."
of Esquire's turning down a of the upcoming "Atticus York back to Monroeville day, it won't be long before "Besides, Presbyterian the-
piece she had been asked Finch: The Biography," said after A.C. Lee fell ill. I'll be back with you." ology is about the gloomi-
to write. in a statement. "They pro- "Daddy is sitting beside me In another letter from 1956, est Protestant dogma I
"I didn't confirm to their Im- vide a window into her life at the kitchen table, fully she notes her amazement know of, and I don't trust
age (or the one they wish and her views during a pe- clothed, and eating his that she is capable of help- myself to keep my mouth
to project) of the South. My riod of tumultuous change four-o'clock meal. He gets ing her father. shut: if I feel moved to ex-
pastiche had some white in southern political life." around the house with a "Sugar, I guess we all some- press myself thereon, it will
people who were segrega- Lee died in 2016 at age walking stick," she writes to how rise to occasions: get out all over Monro-
tionists & at the same time 89. As Crespino writes in "Dearest H" in 1956. "While I've done more things for eville that I am a member
loathed & hated the K.K.K. his book, she both revered thinking of something to say him that I never remotely of the NAACP, which god
This was an axiomatic im- and rebelled against her to you I found myself staring thought I'd be called on to forbid," she writes. "They
possibility, according to Es- father, whose hallowed at his handsome old face, do for anybody," she writes. already suspect this to be
quire! I wanted to say that image formed by "To Kill a and a sudden wave of "But I suppose there's truth fact anyway, because I
according to those lights, Mockingbird" and Gregory panic flashed through me, in the adage that you don't said some strong words to
nine-tenths of the South is Peck's performance in the which I think was an echo mind it if they're yours. I sho' one of our good Method-
an axiomatic impossibility." 1962 film adaptation was of the fear and desolation don't: you will discover that ist brethren about my views
Lee's letter is among six do- upended by the portrait of that filled me when he was your Nelle Harper is a much on picture shows, dancing,
nated to Emory University Atticus as a stubborn reac- nearly dead. It has been less squeamish individual. dining, etc., — in short EV-
by a California-based book tionary in "Go Set a Watch- years since I have lived with But the one thing I don't ERYTHING but worshipping
collector and being made man." Harper Lee had ar- him on a day-to-day basis, think I'll get used to if I live to — in a Methodist church. I
public Monday. The typed gued with her father about and these months with him be 100 is a needle. They fed also told him it would be a
correspondence dates the rising civil rights move- have strengthened my at- him through his veins for 10 good thing if the Method-
from the mid-1950s, when ment, but remained close tachment to him, if such is days after he was stricken, ists seceded again, which
she began writing "Go Set to him. In the mid-'50s, she possible. If he gets along and I gagged every time I damns me."q
Jay Z cried with joy when

mom came out to

him as lesbian

NEW YORK (AP) — Jay Z live as someone she wasn't
says he cried with joy when because she didn't want to
his mother came out to him embarrass her children.
as lesbian. Gloria Carter came out on
In the April 6 episode of "My Jay Z's 2017 song "Smile,"
Next Guest Needs No Intro- which featured her poem
duction with David Letter- "Livin in the Shadows."q
man" on Netflix, Jay Z says
he was happy his mother
was free.
The rap mogul says he'd
known his mother was gay,
In this Sept. 29, 2011 file photo released by Starpix, Shawn "Jay Z" Carter poses with his mother but they discussed it for the
Gloria Carter at a fundraising event to support his college scholarship program in New York. first time eight months ago.
Associated Press Jay Z says his mother had to