Keeping an eye on publication of 'Watchman' Concerns abound over release of 'Mockingbird' sequel

By Kurt Anthony Krug Legal News The recent announcement that Harper Lee's second novel, "Go Set a Watchman" - the sequel to 1960's "To Kill A Mockingbird," her first novel - will be published in July has been met with either joyous excitement or eyebrow-raising apprehension. "Mockingbird" - which sells 750,000 copies annually, has been translated into dozens of languages, and is taught in countless high school English classes - is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Ala. during the Great Depression and narrated by Jean Louise Finch, alias Scout, a 6-year-old girl. Scout recounts how her father Atticus Finch, a crusading attorney, defends a black man, Tom Robinson, accused of raping a white woman. Even though the racist townspeople know Tom is innocent, he is nonetheless still found guilty. Lee, 88, won the Pulitzer Prize for "Mockingbird," which was adapted into a 1962 movie starring Gregory Peck as Atticus and Mary Badham as Scout. It also marked the film debut of Robert Duvall. The movie won three of its eight Oscar nominations. Peck won an Oscar for his performance. The movie also won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay and for Best Art Direction. "The themes are timeless," explained Robert J. Fox, an English teacher at Ann Arbor Huron High School. "It is the quintessential American story - for better or for worse. The themes are very relatable, particularly the coming of age journey (Scout) takes - the innocence of childhood." Slated for a July 14 release through HarperCollins, "Watchman" occurs 20 years after the events of "Mockingbird." Scout - now an adult - returns to Maycomb to visit Atticus. The deal was negotiated by Michael Morrison, president and publisher of HarperCollins, via Lee's lawyer, Tonja Carter. "Watchman" was written prior to "Mockingbird." The original manuscript of the novel was considered to have been lost until fall 2014 when Carter discovered it in a secure location where it had been affixed to an original typescript of "Mockingbird." The story behind this novel's path to publication is as compelling as the novel itself. A very private individual, Lee - who has declined numerous interviews over the years - vowed that she would never write another novel, much less a sequel to her seminal classic. And yet, a sequel was announced. "She wrote one of the greatest books in all of literature, and it always felt like we were somehow cheated out of her greatness. There was always this great mystique about the fact that she had this one great book... Part of me will miss being able to tell students about this side of her legacy," explained Fox. The sequel's timing could not be more suspect. Lee reportedly is in poor health. She suffered a stroke in 2007 and is legally blind and deaf. She currently lives in an assisted living facility in Monroeville, Ala. In 2013, she sued literary agent Samuel Pinkus, alleging he exploited her age and declining health by tricking her into signing over the ownership to "Mockingbird." The case was settled later that year out of court, the details of which were not made public. Now, several months after Lee's sister Alice - who was also her attorney and handler -died, the release of "Watchman" was announced at the beginning of February. Teacher Aimee Grant, one of Fox's colleagues at Huron, finds this suspicious and feels those involved are going against Lee's wishes not to publish again. "I wish other news organizations were more selective and informed about their reporting because quotes that Lee is 'happy as hell' to publish ring false, given her physical condition of being mostly blind and deaf. That's hardly likely given from a great writer like Lee," said Grant. Steve Lehto, a Michigan-based attorney and author, echoed Grant's misgivings. "People around (Lee) have been pushing her unduly for years. Lee has a long history of being abused by various people around her. For years, her sister took care of her affairs and shielded her. Lee is famously reclusive," said Lehto. The controversy surrounding "Watchman" aside, the question remains: Will it be as good as "Mockingbird"? "Nothing on Earth can top 'Mockingbird,' not even Lee herself," said Fox. New York Times best-selling author Brad Meltzer, an alumnus of the University of Michigan and Columbia University Law School, stated "Mockingbird" is his favorite book ever. "I couldn't be more excited or more anxious to see a sequel," said Meltzer. "Like any other sequel, it's all in the execution." Published: Thu, Mar 19, 2015