Mockingbird

I am currently reading a biography of Harper Lee, entitled Mockingbird. This is because I am teaching In Cold Blood as a nonfiction novel for English 1B, and heard that there was a chapter on Harper Lee's contributions to Capote's work.

Her perspective, according to the book, is fascinating. She saw the Clutter family in a different light as portrayed in the book--she felt that the family kept a stiff upper lip in light of Bonnie Clutter's emotional illness, but that it really affected Nancy Clutter--whom my students posited was a bit of a workaholic, probably as a coping mechanism. Harper Lee also saw Herb Clutter as far more controlling and perfectionistic than he was portrayed in Capote's book, and she viewed Bonnie Clutter as a woman who had originally been creative and capable, but didn't really fit the social structures imposed on her and considered herself a failure due to her inability to meet certain expectations (both her own and that of the community).

Probably this wasn't the very best book for me to be reading right now, as Harper Lee never wrote another book again after To Kill a Mockingbird, for multiple reasons. Still, it's an interesting read.

My other activities this week have included trying catch up on grading and working on
a somewhat maddening knitting project--and, oh yes, working on my book, planning my garden, and trying to write in my journal every day.