We had a great turnout last night at the Enoch Pratt's Northwood branch, as a group of scholars (with little ol' me) discussed "To Kill a Mockingbird" on the 50th anniversary of its publication. Thanks to all who braved the mid-90s heat to join the conversation. Our discussion touched a wide range of themes, from strong female characters to Jim Crow-era legal challenges to Gothic themes.
Sherrilyn Ifill, University of Maryland law professor and author of "On the Courthouse Lawn: Confronting the Legacy of Lynching in the 21st Century" analyzed Atticus Finch's courtroom performance and that of other civil rights lawyers. Brian Norman, director of African and African American studies at Loyola University Maryland and author of "Neo-Segregation Narratives: Jim Crow in Post-Civil Rights American Literature," noted the book's relationship to other segregation narratives and its Gothic elements. And Jadi Omowale, writer, publisher, and teacher at the Community College of Baltimore County, delivered a spirited reading of a prose poem that could form the basis of a TKAM sequel.
It was an hour and a half of pure literary love. That sort of conversation is always a great way to spend an evening -- whether it's hot or not.