what did you learn about harper lee and her reasons? >> well, i was fortunate enough to get great access to two very close friends of her. a new york city couple who gave their friend, harper lee, money. they remain very, very close dear friends to this day. the other person i was also very privileged and fortunate to talk to was alice finch, harper lee's older sister. alice is one of the first women in alabama who was ever admitted to the bar. she -- at 99 she's the oldest practicing attorney in the state. she continues to practice every day, and she hopes to celebrate her 100th birthday in september at her law desk. she was quite a character and told me quite a bit about how the lee girls were raised. and her answer to that question is, she quoted her sister saying, she couldn't top what she had done. she had nowhere to go but down. and i think the combination of this kind of overwhelming thing, the somewhat autobiographical nature of what was written about and not to disappoint yourself let alone the other people out there waiting fo

honoring harper lee was a great idea. choosing the writer to highlight the rules of war and society is a great idea that we were able to define a role for this at the university of alabama. we were honored to do so. it's especially fitting that could've won the award a number of years ago had the word existed at the time. he's a very deserving. we know there will be many future winners will be quite deserving as well. we hope some people are tired to read the good stories about lawyers from this. but the particular book hero, the compassion -- i know many of you have read it and it's especially timely. it was irreparably good job and a silicate lawyer story. the american bar association is the worst largest professional organization and this is one of the good things that we are delighted partner with. dean can't thank you in the university of alabama law school for the opportunity. [applause] >> as you probably know, ceremonies are occurring this week at the same time as the national book festival here in d.c., which is

harper lee and john grisham. they can be assured that as long as we have libraries, their work will continue to be honored. thank you very much. [applause] >> ilooking around this room we could recognize him a special guest today. i know it members of the federal judiciary. you ought us with your presence but if you want to single out i'm sure mr. grisham will do it later on, we have many representatives from random house. signee, gene and gene and the rest of john's publishing team and we want to recognize you with a round of applause as well. [applause] >> and we had outstanding committee that selected this book. we had so many books nominated. we a group in tuscaloosa and elsewhere that narrowed the field down to three books and we had an outstanding selection committee. i'm going to go in alphabetical order. david baldacci who is a best selling author, his first novel was published in 1996 was an immediate bestseller. he has since published more than 20 novels and seven original screenplays with his wife, mic

harper lee hasn't given an interview since 1964, it not be the person who would change her mind. so when i started doing my own documentary, which is about -- i started it about six years ago, i read the novel again, i did a little more reporting, especially about, you know, the summer of 1960 when the novel was published. and i began to see the story i could tell was the story of the novel. not so much the novelist. and the credible impact that the novel had on the civil rights movement, on lives, on careers and on readers to this very day. so that to me seemed to be

. >> harper lee's first and only novel. >> a masterpiece is masterpieces not because they're flawless but because they tap into something essential to us, at the heart of who we are and how -- >> a masterpiece and a mystery. >> of course, one kept hoping and waiting for the next novel. sadly, that never came. >> i cannot imagine what drove harper to silence. >> thank you. i prefer to pass. >> what did you say? >> well, i have nothing relevant to say concerning the case. however, when i have something relevant to say i shall raise my hand. >> stepped on you. >> serious doubt about your becoming a mother. [laughter] >> you are a son of a bitch. >> scout, that's the most intelligent thing you have said today. now, take your seat. >> the greatest counterculture lawyer of all-time. his trials have garnered him acclaim as one of the greatest criminal defense lawyers of all century. he's the white tornado in court, the semantic samurai, a shaman, a trickster by others, "lush for justice "by tony serra is a no holds bar description of a man, his belief and the legal system he serves and trans

if we can't celebrate writers like mark twain and harper lee, we're doing something wrong. john will let us know if we get things wrong, i'm sure. i have a series of questions here, but i really, i'll ask the questions, but i think we should have a free flow of dialogue, and i won't call on any one person to answer, please, just feel free to jump in. i like this question, and i'm going to start wit. with it. how is the lawyer portrayed in popular fiction changed in the 50 years since atticus finch? he's the lawyer we used to all have at least one time in our lives when being accused of a really bad crime because he's sort of the guy that would be there for us. he stands for what's good and pure, and he seems to be ideal in a sense it's hard to understand how a real person can be that. so the question how has lawyers portrayed in popular fiction changed in the 50 year since atticus finch? >> okay. everyone's looking at me. >> yes, please go. >> well, for one thing, atticus lynch is a flawless character. and for many people who read "to kill a mockingbird," that's some of the

snooki has officially had more books published than harper lee. do with that information what you will. just a little factoid for you. while snooki was making the talk show rounds for her new book, she got regis to do something on national television that frankly you just have to see for yourself. take a look. >> i'm going to get snookified. >> it's called snookified, reg. guidos usually don't wear ties. take off your shirt. >> yeah, you should take off your shirt and have no shirt and a tie. >> let this happen. >> you think i'm afraid of you? >> i want to see where this goes. [ cheers ] >> i love when kelly said, "let this happen." reege, reege, what snapped? are you so powerless in the face of snooki's charms, you'll do anything she asks you to do, no questions asked? just like that you'll take off your shirt, simply because snooki said it was a good idea? and on tv no less. who would do such a thing? >> snooki's here. very excited. >> hi. oh, my god, you're pale. >> take off your shirt. so first we're going to start with a little body contourin

snooki has officially had more books published than harper lee.or you. while snooki was making the talk show rounds for her new book, she got regis to do something on national television that frankly you just have to see for yourself. take a look. >> i'm going to get snookified. >> it's called snookified, reg. guidos usually don't wear ties. take off your shirt. >> yeah, you should take off your shirt and have no shirt and a tie. >> let this happen. >> you think i'm afraid of you? >> i want to see where this goes. [ cheers ] >> i love when kelly said, "let this happen." reege, reege, what snapped? are you so powerless in the face of snooki's charms, you'll do anything she asks you to do, no questions asked? just like that you'll take off your shirt, simply because snooki said it was a good idea? and on tv no less. who would do such a thing? >> snooki's here. very excited. >> hi. oh, my god, you're pale. >> take off your shirt. so first we're going to start with a little body contouring. >> i had no idea that mr. anderson had muscles. i love the sm

we can celebrate writers like john grisham and harper lee, were doing something wrong. john has agreed to be uppity can participate if you want stuart can just listen. if we get things wrong, let us know i'm sure. i have a serious question here. i think we should have a free flow of dialogue. i will call in any one person to panel to answer. feel free to jump in. i like this question and i am going to start with it. i was the lawyer portrayed in popular fiction changed in the 50 years since atticus finch? atticus finch as the lawyer rheostat on time ugly sometime in our lives and been accused of a really bad crying because he's the guy that will be there for us and he stands for what it appeared and seems to be ideal but it's hard to understand. so the question how was it changed since atticus finch? [inaudible] >> please go peered >> well, for one thing, atticus finch is a flawless carrot here. for many people who read "to kill a mockingbird," that is some of the complexity the book you have a character who is too good at the end is going to have his own son prosecuted