Happy Birthday Harper Lee

That famous line spoken by the fictional Atticus Finch has perhaps become one of the most famous quotes in American literature. Today marks author Harper Lee's 80th birthday. It has been 46 years since she published her first and only book, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Lee has not granted an interview since 1964 and was rarely seen in public until she surfaced earlier this year at a University Of Alabama gathering to honor winners of a high school essay contest based on her book. It was revealed at that time that the famously reclusive author has quietly attended these ceremonies for the past five years but this was the first time she spoke, albeit very briefly.

Lee has also gotten a lot of press lately since the release of the movie Capote. Truman Capote and Harper Lee were childhood friends who remained close until his death and she served as his research assistant when he was in the process of writing In Cold Blood.

Although she has written a handful of essays over the years, Lee has never written another novel. To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic portrayal of racial injustice and is considered to be one of the best and most enduring books in American literature. It was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1961. There have been rumors for years that Lee is writing her memoirs but that has never been verified.

If you consider yourself to be a Mockingbird expert, visit Advanced Book Exchange for a quiz that will surely test your expertise.