Books

Authors React to Harper Lee's Death

by Emma Cueto

Sad news for the literary world today: Harper Lee has died at the age of 89. The author of the classic To Kill a Mockingbird has long been a giant in the American literary world, and has influenced generations of writers. So it is unsurprising that many authors reacting to Harper Lee's death are expressing not only sadness at the loss, but also gratefulness for the extraordinary work she created.

Harper Lee was a revered but reclusive author. Not long after the publication and runaway success of To Kill a Mockingbird, she stopped giving interviews and largely withdrew from the public eye. She didn't publish another novel for over four decades until the release this past summer of Go Set a Watchman, a book that was billed as a sequel to Mockingbird, though many questioned the circumstances surrounding its publication.

Regardless of the controversy surrounding her second book, To Kill a Mockingbird has long since cemented itself as a classic, and Harper Lee will forever be remembered as a beloved author. And for proof of that, one need look no further than the outpouring of sympathy and sadness that millions are expressing on social media following the news, especially Lee's fellow authors.

Writers from every genre, from romance to sci-fi to literary fiction, have all taken to Twitter to mourn Lee's passing, share some of her more memorable quotes, and to talk about what she meant to them. Here are just a few.