Thank you, Harper Lee. And thank you, Sydney Sue Behrman Helfand.
That second name will mean nothing to most of my readers, but let me tell you why Miss Behrman - later Mrs. Helfand - is someone special from my childhood. One reason is because she introduced me to the genius that was...and always will be...Harper Lee.It was the fall of 1969...and I was all of 14 years old...when Miss Behrman - my 9th grade English teacher - assigned all the students of her Freshmen year classes to read Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, To Kill A Mockingbird. As any kid - by the time they reach high school - I had read dozens and dozens of books, but none as impressive and as captivating as this classic, American treasure. I distinctly recall reading chapter after chapter - the entire book - throughout one Saturday afternoon and night. As the saying goes, I couldn't put it down. And, I had never done that with any other book. But I fell in love with To Kill A Mockingbird.
Miss Behrman had given each student his or her own paperback. And now, nearly 47 years later, I still have mine with my handwritten name scribbled on the inside cover. As odd as it may be to some of you - others perhaps not - my copy of To Kill A Mockingbird is one of my cherished possessions. In 1969, it cost only 95 cents...but today...to me...it's priceless. And I'm grateful to my extraordinary teacher - Sydney Sue Behrman Helfand - for acquainting me with To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee.
To Kill A Mockingbird is arguably the defining novel of the 20th Century. Harper Lee is the quintessential storyteller. And both have enriched my life. Therefore, it is important to me that I pay tribute and my final respects to someone who has left such an indelible mark on my memory and my spirit. As you may know, Harper Lee passed away on Friday, February 19th, 2016 at the age of 89.Harper Lee's flawless jewel of literary brilliance - which was published in 1960 - is a gift to the world...and it is wrapped with the passion...and compassion...of its consummate characters. To Kill A Mockingbird touched my soul the very first time I read it...and it will forever live in my mind...and in my heart.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
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Photo credits: usmagazine.com and wennermedia.com (Harper Lee) and reviews.rebeccareid.com (To Kill A Mockingbird paperback book)
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