Harper Lee Is 85

Writer Harper Lee turns 85 today. Just yesterday, Ms. Lee issued a statement denying any involvement in a forthcoming biography which claims to have been “written with direct access to Harper and Alice Lee and their friends and family.” As the Times notes, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird “has not given a public interview in 45 years.” She did, however, use this space to explain her longstanding reasons for silence just last year. Happy birthday, Ms. Lee!