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The world has been mourning the passing of Harper Lee. President Barack Obama (pictured, via) wrote a post on Facebook to praise the To Kill a Mockingbird author.

Here’s an excerpt from Obama’s post: “Ms. Lee changed America for the better. And there is no higher tribute we can offer her than to keep telling this timeless American story – to our students, to our neighbors, and to our children – and to constantly try, in our own lives, to finally see each other.”

Many members of the publishing industry have also spoken out in remembrance of Lee including HarperCollins publisher Michael Morrison, literary agent Andrew Nurnberg, and Amazon Books editorial director Sara Nelson. Do you have a favorite quote from To Kill a Mockingbird or Go Set a Watchman?

Harper Lee’s health has become the target of widespread scrutiny since the announcement of Go Set a Watchman. In response to claims of possible elder abuse, Alabama State Officials launched an investigation earlier this year.

The New York Times reports that the case “has been closed and no evidence of abuse or neglect had been found.” No details have been revealed the Alabama Human Resources Department is “prohibited by law from discussing the inquiry’s findings.”

The Alabama Securities Commission, one of the groups who also participated in this inquiry, had revealed their findings back in March and judged Lee to be mentally sound. Lee’s literary agent, Andrew Nurnberg, issued a public statement around the same time to denounce the accusations.

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)

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)

Harper Lee has become the subject of many debates since the announcement of her forthcoming To Kill a Mockingbird sequel. Many wonder if Lee had actually given her consent for the publication of Go Set a Watchman.

According to AL.com, the Alabama Securities Commission and the state’s human resources department have initiated an investigation to examine whether or not elder abuse has taken place. This inquiry was launched because a number of conflicting reports have surfaced about the 88 year old author’s current state of mental health.

Here’s more from The New York Times: “Through a HarperCollins spokeswoman, Mr. [Michael] Morrison said the company was aware of the state’s inquiry but had not been contacted by investigators. Andrew Nurnberg, the agent handling international rights for Watchman, has brushed off reports that Ms. Lee is somehow being taken advantage of as ‘nonsense.'”