I Wrote That! Author Talk: Tom Santopietro

Tom Santopietro, an author well-known for his writing about American popular culture, delves into the heart of the beloved classic, and shows readers why To Kill a Mockingbird matters more today than ever before.
Tom Santopietro’s 2018 book, Why To Kill a Mockingbird Matters, takes a 360 degree look at the To Kill a Mockingbird phenomenon, both on page and screen. Santopietro traces the writing of To Kill A Mockingbird, the impact of the Pulitzer Prize, and examines exactly what makes the movie and Gregory Peck’s unforgettable performance as Atticus Finch so captivating. As Americans yearn for hope and an end to divisiveness, there is no better time to look at the significance of Harper Lee’s book, the film, and all that came after.

Tom Santopietro
Santopietro is the author of nine books: The Way We Were: The Making of a Romantic Classic; Dancing Man; Why To Kill a Mockingbird Matters; Barbara Cook: Then and Now; the best selling The Sound of Music Story; The Godfather Effect: Changing Hollywood, America, and Me; Sinatra in Hollywood; Considering Doris Day (a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice); and The Importance of Being Barbra. A frequent media commentator in programs ranging from the PBS documentary, The Italian Americans, to the Jimmy van Heusen biography, Swingin’ With Frank & Bing, Tom conducts monthly interviews for Barnes and Noble and gives talks on classic films.

Over the past thirty years, he also managed more than two dozen Broadway shows, including Phantom of the Opera, A Few Good Men, Jersey Boys, and Master Class.