Go Set a Conspiracy: Harper Lee and Her Mysterious Life
Harper Lee, born Nelle Harper Lee, is considered one of American Literature’s most notable and important writers, even if she just published two books. Her first novel, To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), has sold over 40 million copies worldwide as of 2015 and continues to be taught in high school classrooms today. With the success of Mockingbird, Lee did not feel the need to publish another book until 2015 — a book we now know as the sequel to her efficacious debut novel — Go Set a Watchman. There is controversy surrounding the publication of Watchman, focusing primarily on the character development of Atticus Finch. Many argue that Lee would never publish a book that discredits Atticus’ anti-racist traits that are established in Mockingbird, but in the sequel, she does just that. This surprising turn of events leads many fans to ask: was Watchmannever intended to hit the shelves?
The official story, as many people know it, goes as follows: Lee published To Kill a Mockingbirdin 1960 — a story set in a fictional 1930’s Alabama town, loosely based on her own childhood memories and events that took place in Monroeville. The book was praised for the way it discussed certain topics such as racial injustice, wealth, and growing up in the Deep South. The book was immediately successful, winning Lee the Pulitzer Prize the following year.
Lee was famously known for being good friends with writer Truman Capote, as they lived next door to each other in the same small Alabama town. The two aspiring writers “quickly bonded over their mutual love of Sherlock Holmes” and spent most of the time reading in their treehouse (Alter, “Harper Lee and Truman Capote”). They used each other as inspiration for characters in their respective works, Dill in To Kill a Mockingbird represented a young Capote, while Idabel Thompkins was based on Lee in Other Voices, Other Rooms. The two were close as can be, each pursuing their writing dreams. However, when each rose to fame, controversy drove them apart. According to Time magazine, the two grew part in 1965 after Capote failed to give Lee proper recognition for her 150 pages of notes contribution to his popular novel, In Cold Blood(Begley) though others are convinced Lee’s immediate success with Mockingbirdwas the true demise of their friendship.
After In Cold Blood’s publication in 1965, Lee fell out of the public eye, though she “could be seen around town in sweatpants looking for bargains at a Dollar General Store, washing her clothes at a local Laundromat, drinking coffee at a McDonald’s or eating at David’s Catfish House” (Kovaleski and Alter, “Harper Lee’s Will”). While she may have been hiding from the world in a sense, she seemed to be quite the friendly neighbor, locally.
Seemingly out of nowhere, publishing house HarperCollins announced on February 3rd, 2015, that a sequel to Mockingbird, titled Go Set a Watchman, would be published later that year. The story again follows the narrative of Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, now twenty years older, still reminiscing on her childhood memories in Maycomb. However, her father and city attorney, Atticus, has aged to become quite the segregationist, go longer in support of his Tom Robinson case, as followed in Mockingbird. While the book was published as a sequel, it technically is a prequel, as it was written and submitted for publishing long before Mockingbird ever was. In the New York Timesarticle announcing the book’s release, Alexandra Alter writes that “Ms. Lee said she had thought the draft of Go Set a Watchmanhad been lost or destroyed. Then last fall, Tonja Carter, her friend and lawyer, discovered the manuscript in a secure place where Ms. Lee keeps her archives, attached to an original typed manuscript of To Kill a Mockingbird” (Alter, “Publish a Second Novel). However, the true date of the discovery of the manuscript has been up for debate.
In another New York Times article, Serge Kovaleski and Alexandra Alter again dive into the controversy of the novel, dissecting each detail, to the best of their ability. Originally, the manuscript for Watchman was said to be discovered in August of 2014, as Carter was “set out to review an old typescript of To Kill a Mockingbird.” However, it seems that a rare books expert, Justin Caldwell, may have discovered the draft years earlier in October of 2011 (Kovaleski and Alter, “Found Earlier”). While meeting with Ms. Carter and Samuel Pinkus (Lee’s literary agent at the time) to appraise Mockingbirdfor insurance purposes, Caldwell quickly discovered that it could be a draft of the famed novel, just set 20 years later. When Carter was asked about this discrepancy of a timeline, Carter said, “[I] was sent from the room to run an errand before any review of the materials occurred,” however, the other two parties from the meeting confidently confirm her presence during the discovery.
Tonja Carter’s connection to the Lee family is suspicious itself, as family ties seem to play a role in this conspiracy. In 1990, Carter married again, this time to Patrick Carter, whose father Jennings Faulk Carter, a cousin of Truman Capote (Cep), was someone who partook in the Capote/Lee adventures of the early 1930s. Before marring into the Carter family, however, Tonja found work as a secretary in the law office of Alice Lee (older sister of Harper, who I will come back to) and eventually became an attorney at the office. Her involvement with Harper became exclusive in 2013, when Carter fired Lee’s then literary agent, Samuel Pinkus for “improperly collecting royalties from Mockingbirdsince 2007” (Bosman). The lawsuit claims that due to Harper Lee’s declining hearing and eyesight, as a result from a stroke she suffered in 2007, Pinkus was taking advantage of her successful novel by coercing her to sign over the rights. The case was settled out-of-court (Cep), though any other information regarding the settlement was sealed. This lawsuit leads me into the main argument for Watchman’s forced publishing: Lee suffered elderly abuse in the years following her stroke by her lawyer, literary agent, and the publisher responsible for Go Set a Watchman.
In 2007, Lee suffered a stroke and remained to have hearing and visions problems as a result until her death in 2016. While she could function almost normally in her day-to-day life in the nursing home, many friends who visited Lee in her assisted living home had much to say about her condition. Alabama historian and close friend of Lee’s, Wayne Flynt, recalls that her memory was not very sharp towards the end. When the topic of her “new” novel entered the conversation, Lee replied, “What novel?” and admitted to not being “not so sure anymore” when asked if she were proud of it (Kovaleski et al, “Harper Lee’s Condition”). Writer and former neighbor of Lee’s, Marja Mills, claims that Lee is hardly aware of what she says, even minutes after she says them and constantly forgets what she is talking about.
A resident of Monroeville submitted an anonymous complaint to the state doctor, who then called Alabama’s adult protective services to investigate if Lee was mentally able to consent toWatchman’s publishing. While the investigation findings seem to be sealed, the doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that Lee “was largely uncommunicative” and could be seen “lying in a fetal position in bed in the middle of the afternoon” (Kovaleski et al, “Harper Lee’s Condition”). The article continues to say that any statements from Lee regarding Watchmanonly came directly from her lawyer, Ms. Carter, the one responsible for selling the manuscript to the publisher in the first place. This alleged conversation aligns well with the elderly abuse/informed consent theory, as the general idea is that Lee would have never wanted to publish a sequel that bashes the characters in her original work.
Referring back to the Samuel Pinkus lawsuit, if the limited information provided on this lawsuit proves true, then it essentially conflicts Ms. Carter and Watchman’s publisher HarperCollins’ argument that Lee was cognizant enough to approve the publication of a second book. It is reasonable to speculate that Ms. Carter used Lee’s stroke (and poor health following it) as an excuse only when it benefited her — when it saved her from being caught up in a false claim about the discovery of the manuscript.
Another key person pertinent to the controversy regarding the publication of Watchmanis Alice Lee — Harper’s fifteen-years-older sister. Alice lived to be 103 years old, retiring from her law profession at the age of 100 (Langer). Following Harper’s stroke in 2007, Alice assisted with taking care of her younger sister and helped managed Harper’s legal and financial affairs. Connecting back to the Watchmanmanuscript discovery debate, some speculate that Alice would not have approved of the novel’s publication, as she often spoke on behalf of her sister. According to Kovaleski and Alter, HarperCollins has not revealed if Alice was consulted or not (“Found Earlier”). However, just two and a half months following the passing of the eldest Lee sibling, the publisher announced the book’s release date. In my honest opinion, that does not seem like a coincidence.
All of Lee’s comments regarding the publication of Watchmancame directly through her lawyer, Ms. Carter, or her literary agent, Andrew Nurnberg. In a New York Timesarticle, Nurnberg said, “She was surprised when the manuscript, which she had presumed long lost, was found last August and she is both delighted and enthused that it will now be published” (The New York Times), but a statement made through someone else can easily be false or made up.
It is tricky to conjure a concise timeline, as there seems to be conflicting stories in just about every article, but the official story as of 2015 seems to be that the novel that Lee published in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird, was the second draft. In 1957, she wrote Go Set a Watchman, but it was turned down by the publisher. It was not until she revised the book completely, writing a prequel to her original work, essentially, that she became published. Watchmanwas then kept in a safe, along with the typewriter it was conceived on, until 2011. This conspiracy, springs from Tonja Carter and her involvement with Harper Lee. Ms. Carter seems to be harboring many of the Lee family secrets, not just Harper’s, and exploiting the author’s early writing for her own benefit. Of course, fans have been awaiting a Mockingbirdsequel since the book’s release, but with Lee’s adamant refusal to carry out those wishes in the half-century following the success of her book, something does not feel right. As stated earlier, the state of Alabama — the people who consider Lee a local treasure and does their best to protect her name at all costs — was not convinced with the sudden publication.
In my opinion, I agree with the conspiracy theory because the evidence seems too apparent to ignore. Elderly abuse is a real thing and I do not think that people really understand just how common it is. As stated by several people, Lee’s condition following her stroke never improved and she dealt with the aftermath of it the rest of her life. Post-stroke, she did not seem to be cognizant of the present moment, let alone decisions that she would agree/disagree with. While the elderly abuse is the most obvious evidence, I think that it is a little suspicious that Watchmanwas announced for publication immediately following the passing for Alice Lee, who oversaw most of Harper’s business affairs. As there are two witnesses who were present at the discovery of the novel in 2011, even though Carter claims to have discovered in 2014 (after Alice’s passing), I think there is some sort of suspicious activity going on with the true discovery date — and maybe we will never know.
Joseph Uscinski defines a conspiracy theory as “an explanation of historical, ongoing, or future events that cites as a main causal factor a group of powerful persons, the conspirators, acting in secret for their own benefit against the common good” (Uscinski, 235). As we summarized in class: a group of powerful people keeping secrets from the public in order to gain some political or economic power, while violating rights and/or altering government institutions. The group of powerful people in this conspiracy are Tonja Carter, the lawyer; both Samuel Pinkus and Andrew Nurnberg, the literary agents; and the publishing company, HarperCollins. This group of people seems to be harboring the secrets of whether or not Lee actually approved of the publication, as well as the true discovery of the manuscript. By doing this, the Harper Lee legacy lives on wealthily by adding another successful text to her name. Though the immediate response to the novel was one of mixed emotions, the book sold over 1.1 million copies in the first week alone (Alter, “Go Set a Watchman”) and it was the most preordered book on Amazon since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(BBC News).
I think cognitive dissonance comes into play when others refuse to accept that Harper Lee suffered elderly abuse. Lee has such a large following of fans, thanks to the success of her first novel, and many fans wanted to see a follow up story. When it was announced that Watchmanwould be published, many people preordered right away, not stopping to question why Lee waited 54 years before succumbing to the pressure. Though it didn’t take long for some fans to speculate, I think the immediate acceptance of the book’s announcement speaks to society’s following of celebrities — and yes, that includes authors.
The harm in not believing in this conspiracy is the fact that a) elderly abuse is something that occurs every day and it is not widely known or accepted and b) there are many authors with money-hungry publishers and/or agents that take the fun out of being a writer. For the first point, one of the most common examples of elderly abuse is money laundering, especially within a family. When elderly people reach a certain age, their family begins to worry about their fortune and who will receive what and how much. This is apparent in Harper Lee’s case because her lawyer and agent were (and still are, posthumously) in charge of her fortune, and the publication of a second book puts more money in their wallets.
For part B, Lee had stated time and time again that she did not desire to write or publish another novel, as she was content with her sole publication. Because of this and her refusal to be interviewed post-1960, Lee became an enigmatic face in the literary world. She seemed to enjoy this identity, as her hometown of Monroeville was a sort of refuge for her — until it became a tourist destination as the inspiration of her book’s setting of Maycomb. Up until 2015, Lee was out of the spotlight and enjoying retirement, but her greedy estate-holders decided that wasn’t enough. This is harmful to other potential aging authors because this could be happening to them too, without the public’s knowledge of what occurs behind closed doors. By accepting that this publication was fully backed by Lee, without any manipulative or surreptitious actions, prevents the group of powerful people being held accountable for their immoral motives.
Harper Lee is considered one of America’s great writers, solely because of one book: To Kill a Mockingbird. Though she is thought to be a mysterious character for living such a private, closed-door life, that doesn’t change the fact that she is talented. If Lee never published another book, she still would have been considered a literary legend after her passing, but her lawyer and literary agent seemed to think otherwise. Though they never explained why Go Set a Watchmanwas published (likely for fan-catering and nothing else), I don’t think they were expecting such a controversy to follow. But, at the end of the day, Lee has another book on the shelves, and their pockets are full of dirty money.
Works cited
Alter, Alexandra. “‘Go Set a Watchman’ Sells More Than 1 Million Copies.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 July 2015.
Alter, Alexandra. “Harper Lee and Truman Capote: A Collaboration in Mischief.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Aug. 2015.
Alter, Alexandra. “Harper Lee, Author of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ Is to Publish a Second Novel.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 Feb. 2015.
BBC News. “Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman ‘Most Ordered since Harry Potter’.” BBC News, BBC, 10 July 2015, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33474630.
Begley, Sarah. “Harper Lee and Truman Capote Friendship.” Time, Time, 19 Feb. 2016.
Bosman, Julie. “Harper Lee Sues Agent Over Copyright on ‘Mockingbird’.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 May 2013.
Cep, Casey. “Mystery in Monroeville.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017.
Kovaleski, Serge F. “One Agency in Harper Lee Inquiry Ends Its Role, Saying Author Is ‘Aware’ of Book Deal.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2015.
Kovaleski, Serge F., and Alexandra Alter. “Harper Lee’s ‘Go Set a Watchman’ May Have Been Found Earlier Than Thought.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 July 2015.
Kovaleski, Serge F., and Alexandra Alter. “Harper Lee’s Will, Unsealed, Only Adds More Mystery to Her Life.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Feb. 2018.
Kovaleski, Serge F., et al. “Harper Lee’s Condition Debated by Friends, Fans and Now State of Alabama.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2015.
Langer, Emily. “Alice Lee, Sister of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Author Harper Lee, Dies at 103.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 18 Nov. 2014.
The New York Times. “Harper Lee Agent Says Author Is ‘Delighted’ New Book Will Be Published.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Mar. 2015.
Uscinski, Joseph E. “The Study of Conspiracy Theories.” Argumenta, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 233–245, 2018.
