Did Harper Lee really okay publication of a novel she wrote 50 years ago?

Mary Bruno

Mary Bruno Jul 8, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Did Harper Lee really okay publication of a novel she wrote 50 years ago?</h1>
                <h2><p>That debate has raged ever since Harper Collins said it was planning to publish Watchman, a long-lost manuscript from the much-loved — but mentally fragile — author of the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Now, says The New York Times, the state of Alabama has jumped into the fray. In response to</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/mary-bruno-crosscut-com/">Mary Bruno</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>That debate has raged ever since Harper Collins said it was planning to publish <em>Watchman</em>, a long-lost manuscript from the much-loved — but mentally fragile — author of the classic, <em>To Kill a Mockingbird</em>. Now, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/arts/artsspecial/harper-lees-ability-to-consent-to-new-book-continues-to-be-questioned.html?hp=&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=photo-spot-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0&ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">says The New York Times</a>, the state of Alabama has jumped into the fray. In response to concerns about potential elder abuse, state investigators talked with Ms. Lee at her assisted-living facility. It's unclear where the investigation goes from here.</p>
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That debate has raged ever since Harper Collins said it was planning to publish Watchman, a long-lost manuscript from the much-loved — but mentally fragile — author of the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird. Now, says The New York Times, the state of Alabama has jumped into the fray. In response to concerns about potential elder abuse, state investigators talked with Ms. Lee at her assisted-living facility. It's unclear where the investigation goes from here.

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By Mary Bruno

Mary was Crosscut's Editor-in-Chief and Interim Publisher. In more than 25 years as a journalist, she has worked as a writer, editor and editorial director for a variety of print and web publications,