In 1950, Lee moved to New York City, where she worked as a reservation clerk for British Overseas Airways Corporation; there, she began writing a collection of essays and short stories about people in Monroeville.
Lee se 1950. preselila u New York, gdje je radila kao trgovac za rezervacije britanske zračne kompanije; tu je počela pisati kolekciju eseja i kratkih priča o ljudima u Monroevilleu.