"Mockingbird Revisted" event to look at the work of Harper Lee

In its first week on the market, Harper Lee’s “new” novel, Go Set A Watchman, sold over a million copies. Containing many of the same settings and characters of Lee’s classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, the newly-released novel promises to be a bestseller for the year. It also has renewed interest in To Kill A Mockingbird. And it is igniting an international discussion of the once-sainted character of attorney Atticus Finch, who in his later years reveals himself as a racist in Go Set A Watchman.Says Newsweek, “Go Set a Watchman has come to us at the right moment, despite questions over the timing of the novel’s publication.”

The public is invited to take part in a lively conversation about all things “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Sunday, August 30, when the Menlo Park Library’s sALon Menlo Presents “Mockingbird Revisited: the classic book, the film, and the “other” book—Go Set a Watchman. Menlo Park Librarian and filmmaker Nick Szegda will lead the film discussion, with a focus on Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch. Menlo College instructor Lauren John will lead a book discussion that compares and contrasts To Kill A Mockingbird with Go Set A Watchman.

Refreshments will be provided at the free event, which is Sponsored by The Al Jacobs Fund administered by the Friends of the Menlo Park Library. The discussion kicks off at 2:00 p.m. in the Elm Room of the Arillaga Family Recreation Center, located across the parking lot from the library at 701 Laurel Street. For more information on this event, visit menlopark.org/library, or the Menlo Park Library Facebook event page.