2010 book 159

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
It's been years since I've read this--my last reading predates this blog--but this summer is the 50th anniversary of its publication and I figured now was the time to get back to it. I still remember the first time I read it, struggling to understand the political undertones during breaks in ping-pong classes at art camp the summer I was 11. And I guess at some point I read it in school, since there are all sorts of hilariously un-astute comments in the margins (i.e., in the scene outside the prison "[Atticus] was scared [the kids] would be hurt") along with multiple doodles (most of big-eyes, wavy haired girls, but one is of Scout in her ham costume, only I didn't know what ham looked like so it sort of looks like a Pac-Man ghost wearing a hat. And this book also reminds me of my all-time favorite teacher, Mrs Kogut from 10th grade English, whose daughter was named Jean Louise (though, when I asked if she was named for Scout, Mrs Kogut replied that she just wanted a name no one would mispronounce, since she always felt bad about mispronouncing names).

Clearly this book steeps me in nostalgia. And also--it always makes me think. About society and the ills we do to each other, and about justice, and right and wrong. I've been thinking about that a bit lately anyway, following the closing arguments from the Prop 8 case in California and hoping my generation's battle for equal rights works out as well--or better--as the civil rights battles of the 60s and 70s (Loving v. Virginia happened in 1967--you'd think 40-some years would be enough for all people to be allowed to marry whoever they love. But anyway).

I'm not going to do even a shadow of a plot summary--we all know the story, and if we don't, we should remind ourselves. But coming-of-age doesn't get any better than this.