Alabama state officials opened an investigation following complaints about Harper Lee possibly suffering from elder abuse. The New York Times reports that Lee’s literary agent, Andrew Nurnberg, has issued a statement about this issue to denounce these claims.
Here’s an excerpt: “The fact that she is hard of hearing and suffers from some macular degeneration (entirely common for someone in their late 80s) has no bearing whatsoever on her quick wit or of speaking her mind on all manner of things. That she chose many years ago to lead a quiet life away from the world at large (the last time she spoke to the press was, I believe, in 1964) is her prerogative and should be respected. She was surprised when the manuscript, which she had presumed long lost, was found last August and she is both delighted and enthused that it will now be published.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nurnberg has been overseeing the negotiations for international rights to the To Kill a Mockingbird sequel. The Alabama Securities Commission recently announced that they have interviewed Lee; they found her to be both mentally sound and aware about the publication of Go Set a Watchman. This organization has cut off its involvement with this inquiry. (via The Associated Press)