Harper Lee dead: Mary-Louise Parker remembers the author in touching tribute

“This month my twelve-year old son began reading To Kill A Mockingbird. “Do you know what my favorite part is, mom?” he asked. I said tell me, and he said, “It’s when Scout asks her daddy if he’s going to win the case and he says no. He says it’s the right thing to do, and plain doesn’t matter if he wins, he still has to try.” I saw his face grow solemn, fathoming that kind of bravery, and I realized that this book casts a spell. It makes the reader imagine living that courageously also; it acts as some kind of sacrament for leading a more honorable life, and precisely why I gave him the middle name he is now so proud of: Atticus.”