Checking out twitter I saw Harper Lee trending and my heart sunk - fearing we'd lost her. For the past too many decades I've written to this lady, but never sent my puerile outpourings of gratitude for her gift to the world. But then the sky opened revealing a glimpse of heaven. Ring out the celebratory bells - prepare to see dancing in the streets.
Harper Lee has announced "To Set A Watchman" will be published later this year.
The timeline scrolled and along with tweets from tweeple delirious with joy, were the usual suspects; falling over themselves to be amusing and original by sneering. Yeah, it's beyond me too. Maybe it makes 'em feel a little bit better about being a non-entity, but more likely they don't have any real friends willing to pull them aside and explain that Harper Lee's genius is already legendary. She owes us nothing. We owe her a bottomless well of thanks.
And although I too suspect that nothing will ever come close to the brilliance that is "To Kill A Mockingbird", I don't give a damn, my order is in. Even more thrilling, and confirming my faith in humanity, it seems thousands share my sentiments.
"To Set A Watchman" is already topping the bestseller charts world wide, and is the number one bestselling book in the United States, and I predict, will remain there for many many months.
One last observation of twitter's Harper Lee's timeline. There are some expressing fears that Harper Lee is somehow being persuaded to publish against her will, or even knowledge. I sincerely hope this isn't the case. I sincerely hope that Harper Lee is aware of the respect she has worldwide, not only from her peers, but also from us, the ordinary people. Hopefully the fact that her second novel has shot into the bestsellers charts gives Miss Harper Lee some indication of how very much she is loved and admired.