L is for...Lawson, Lee, and Levi
Happy Monday, fellow A-Zers. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and that you're all ready to get back in the swing of the challenge this week. I know I am! Today we move to the nearly halfway point of the challenge and the letter L. And I bring you: Lawson, Lee, and Levi.
Jenny LawsonIf you are looking for a writer who is laugh-out-loud hilarious, look no further than Jenny Lawson. Her frank, open musings and honest reflections on life are wonderful. Lawson does not shy away from aspects of herself that might not be "mainstream," instead preferring to air everything in the open in an effort to show people that, whatever their issues, they are not alone. I remember seeing adverts for her first book, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, and thinking that it sounds good; it had been receiving excellent reviews. I finally picked it up from the library and looked like a complete lunatic while reading it in public. It's that funny. But the book also portrays the monster that is depression, which Lawson deals with openly. Let's face it, anyone who is obsessed with awkward taxidermy is pretty awesome! Also, you should check out her blog, The Bloggess, for more hilarious tidbits and musings.
*Recommendation: Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir
Harper Lee (1926-)Harper Lee is one of my all-time favorite authors. I remember having to read To Kill a Mockingbird as a Sophomore in high school and loving the book immediately. I'm pretty sure it's still required reading in the majority of high schools in the US. Even though Mockingbird was the only novel Lee every wrote, it garnered her the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in1961 and remains one of the best-selling books of all time. Many aspects of the book are autobiographical: Scout is a tomboy, much like Lee was; Dill was inspired by Lee's friend and neighbor, Truman Capote; Lee's father was an attorney and represented several black clients. Despite her success, Lee rarely makes public appearances or speeches. She has had several short stories and articles published, but has never written a second novel.
*Recommendation: To Kill a Mockingbird
*Honorable Mention: Primo Levi: Italian chemist, writer, and Holocaust survivor----- Recommendation: Survival in Auschwitz and The Periodic Table
Who are some of your favorite L authors?
Hey, there's one I've heard of! Actually I've heard of Hemingway and Evanovich but my knowledge of great authors (American or otherwise) is embarrassingly limited. I never read anything that wasn't assigned until about three years ago when I started cutting my teeth on Young Adult fiction. It fascinates me how a great talent like Harper Lee (or J.D. Salinger) can write one all-time classic novel, retreat from the public eye, and essentially call it a career. I guess when you've reached the top of the mountain there's nowhere to go but down, eh?
ReplyDeleteI've heard of the Bloggess, Jenny Lawson, and she is quite funny. Think I found her through Allie Brosh's blog Hyperbole and a Half
The Pedestrian Writer visiting from the A to Z blogging challenge
Yay! I figured that a lot of my choices wouldn't be that well-known, but I'm so glad that there is finally one you know! And I completely agree with how such amazing authors only end up producing one significant work, though Salinger does have several other works (not nearly as successful as "Catcher"). Also, "Hyperbole and a Half" is a genius blog! Thanks so much for stopping by!
DeleteSurprisingly, I never read To Kill A Mockingbird in High School. Or college. Read it last year finally and really liked it! Great book!
ReplyDeleteIt's an amazing book!!
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