Horton Foote and "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Horton Foote

Some aspects of a literary work are often revealed through the author's biography. Horton Foote is no exception, as his biography reveals a thoughtful Southern writer who could brilliantly capture life's conflicts, triumphs and defeats. Both honored and criticized, Foote remained a considerate chronicler of humanity whose work is still admired decades after publication and whose life is an inspiration.

Horton Foote (March 14, 1969 -- March 4, 2009) was a southerner, born and raised in Wharton, Texas (Hopwood). The remaining facts of his personal life are simple and straightforward. Barred from military service during World War II due to a hernia, Foote wrote in his early life but also held various menial jobs, including night elevator operator and bookstore clerk (Hampton). When working as a bookstore clerk, he met Lillian Vallish (Hampton), they married in 1945 and Foote remained married...
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