Authors And Celebrities Mark Harper Lee’s Passing With Tributes, Reminiscences
With her celebrated literary legacy and an indelible imprint upon America’s social consciousness, it is understandable that Harper Lee’s passing has prompted an outpouring of fond memories and moving tributes online and in the media. As previously reported by Inquisitr, the award-winning novelist, who is most famous for her 1960 novel To Kill A Mockingbird, passed away on Friday at the age of 89. On Twitter, as well as through other social media and conventional forums, authors, musicians and everyday folks expressed gratitude for the lasting influence of Lee’s work.
Acclaimed author John Green, who wrote The Fault In Our Stars, Paper Towns, and other popular works in the young adult genre, tweeted a memorial to Harper Lee earlier today.
The great Harper Lee has died at the age of 89. https://t.co/MxfqEdkhZj
— John Green (@johngreen) February 19, 2016
When my son Henry was born, Ms. Lee signed a copy of Looking for Alaska for him with the inscription, “Welcome to the world Henry Atticus.”
— John Green (@johngreen) February 19, 2016
That book is my most prized possession. Ms. Lee lived a private life, but she was quietly and extraordinarily generous.
— John Green (@johngreen) February 19, 2016
As noted by the music magazine NME, Tom Delonge, who is the former lead singer for Blink-182, commemorated the loss of Harper Lee through a statement. Delonge presently owns and operates a clothing line called “Atticus,” named after the protagonist of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch.
“The passing of Harper Lee is a loss for all of us. Her work challenged us to think about equality, tolerance and human kindness. May she rest in peace.”
Famed activist and attorney Erin Brockovich shared her affection for Lee and the lessons of To Kill A Mockingbird, abbreviating the novel’s title with the hash tag #TKAMB.
You know what… #TKAMB is a book that changed my life. Maybe i should write one. Harper Lee inspired me & hopefully I can pay it forward
— erin brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) February 19, 2016
CNN Noted that Harper Lee also received high praise from Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, who was recently released from a lengthy prison stay in Iran. Via Twitter, Rezaian said he re-read To Kill A Mockingbird during the trial that would eventually result in his conviction and imprisonment. He shared that revisiting the work was even more poignant than the first time that he read it while in high school.
Michael Morrison, president of Lee’s publisher, Harper Collins, released a statement expressing a healthy amount of respect and gratitude for her work as well as her humility.
“The world knows Harper Lee was a brilliant writer but what many don’t know is that she was an extraordinary woman of great joyfulness, humility and kindness … She lived her life the way she wanted to – in private – surrounded by books and the people who loved her. I will always cherish the time I spent with her.”
United States Senator Chuck Schumer shared one of his favorite quotes from Lee’s work in a quote via Twitter. Schumer but similar sentiments were noticeably absent on social media pages associated with prominent presidential candidates like Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Ted Cruz.
“There are just some kind of men who- who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one.” – #HarperLee
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 19, 2016
According to Twitter analytics site Trends 24, Harper Lee’s name began trending on Twitter shortly after the news of her death broke and her life and work have remained a prominent topic on social media for the better part of the hours that followed. Having touched so many hearts and minds over the course of the past five decades, it’s a safe bet that many, many more tributes and farewells will follow in the days and weeks to come.
[Photo by Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images]
