Through a series of letters and remembrances, Flynt’s Mockingbird Songs explores his decades-long friendship with Nelle Harper Lee, one of America’s most beloved authors. What emerges from these deeply personal letters is an image of the private life of Lee, in her own words, and indelible meditation on the enduring power of friendship. On July 31, Flynt will be joined by former ADAH Assistant Director of Public Services, Debbie Pendleton, for a poignant reading of some of the book’s most insightful letters and passages.

Dr. Wayne Flynt, Professor Emeritus in the Department of History at Auburn University, is one of the most recognized and honored scholars of Southern history, politics, and religion. Flynt received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard College (shortly before its reorganization as Samford University) in 1961 before taking his Master of Science (1962) and Ph.D. (1965) from Florida State University. After teaching at Samford for 12 years, he joined the faculty at Auburn University in 1977, where he remained until his retirement in 2005. Flynt has authored 12 books including Poor But Proud: Alabama’s Poor Whites (1990) and is co-author of Alabama: A History of a Deep South State, both of which were nominated the Pulitzer Prize.

Mockingbird Songs: My Friendship with Harper Lee (2017) is published by HarperCollins Publishers. Copies will be available for purchase at the event.