JUST ONE

That's all she had in her. Nothing else. Zip, nada, the big O.

I'm talking about Pulitzer Prize author Harper Lee. But what a great novel made into a great movie. A staple in high school American Literature classes and a novel mostly unloved by college English profs.

Maybe because I read the novel shortly after in came out in 1963, and as freshman in high school, I could really identify with Jem and Scout and Dill. Maybe because we had a Boo Radley in our 'hood, a Mr. Baumgardner, who along with his mean wife would keep any stray football, baseball, playground-type ball that went in their yard. Maybe because Atticus Finch was such a strong character; I mean how could anyone allow someone to spit in their face and not react violently? I don't know what other reasons I may have had for liking the book so much, but I did.

And when the movie came out--wow! It was almost as good. The Academy must have agreed, too, since it won best picture. Could anybody other than Greg Peck have played Atticus? How about Duvall as Boo? And the kids, again, great casting. To think that Dill was based on the boyhood of Truman Capote. Well, it's just an awfully good read and view. I'm sorry the college profs have a dim view. Some of the stuff they put me through as an undergrad were bad enough. But as a grad student, the reading material got no better. At least for my taste.

But that's all Harper had. One shot. She never had another story. Thank goodness no sequels, for what sequels are noteworthy? But that's always amazed me about Ms. Lee. I guess you could call her a One Hit Wonder.