"I was seated at a table when Leta Stephens of Alabama Southern quietly came over to us and said, 'You do know that Harper Lee is seated directly behind you, don't you?' It was quite the pleasant surprise, and suddenly the entire event took on an extra special tone,” said author Anita Miller Garner. “When Fannie Flagg was presented with the symbol of the Harper Lee Award—the Frank Fleming bronze sculpture of the iconic Monroe County Courthouse clock tower—her acceptance speech would have touched anyone who has a heart. The entire event held the kind of surprised joy that only serendipity can bring. It was like coming down the stairs on Christmas Eve night and discovering by accident that Santa Claus is real after all."