In memory of Harper Lee

On the heels of Harper Lee’s passing, we’ve gathered some of the best early coverage of the news.

The Washington Post, the Guardian, and the L.A. Times all wrote comprehensive obituaries that addressed not just Lee’s life, but also the people and culture that shaped her — and how she, in turn, shaped them.

(The Guardian also shared rare video footage of Lee, from the 1962 premiere of the film To Kill A Mockingbird, in addition to a photo gallery.)

NPR reflected on her legacy in an essay about how one book so thoroughly dominated her life; Huffington Post used her own words to illustrate her force.

And a simple glance at Twitter illustrated the breadth of her appeal; entertainers, politicians, and CEOs alike demonstrated what she meant to them.

To this chorus of praise and admiration, Fussy would like to add the following: To Kill A Mockingbird was one of the first school reading assignments that we returned to, willingly, as an adult, and no matter how much we digitize and streamline our lives, we'll most likely still cart the paperback copy of it around as we move.

Thanks for sharing your story, Harper. And thanks to Michael and Joy Brown, whose Christmas gift of cash enabled Lee to quit her job to pursue a career in writing full-time.