Recently, PBS ran Shane Salerno’s documentary on J.D. Salinger on its American Masters series. 15 more minutes of footage have been added to the version released in theaters. I picked it up halfway through and was fascinated. It even inspired me to re-read Catcher in the Rye, tied for #11 with Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist on a list at Wikipedia of the all-time best-selling books. Decades ago I found a copy in a locker at Lafayette High School, circa 1963, my freshman year. It may have been the first novel I ever read. I was into comics those days. I immediately related to the main character, Holden Caulfield, whose thoughts and actions are followed through a two-day odyssey. He feels isolated, alienated, overwhelmed, like many teenagers, but he is different from the average 16-year-old in that he is flunking out of his fourth school. At that age I too was appalled by what seemed rampant phoniness, of which I gradually came to realize was just peoples’ way of navigating the bittersweet mystery of life. I underlined many sentences and once showed them to a friend. My brother in law, 20 years older than me, happened to walk in on us. He picked up the book and there soon followed a lecture along the lines of: “Is this what a young Catholic boy should be reading?” He confiscated it. The copy I just finished had nothing underlined, so it was acquired along the way, probably at the discount shop, long closed, on 86th Street, run by Joe, an Orthodox Jew. I remembered a few of the other characters and the incident where Holden unintentionally blows smoke in the direction of two nuns. Of course, the narrative did not have the impact it did back in the day, but I still enjoyed it. Holden Caulfield has stood the test of time. He is one of the most recognized literary figures ever. I felt sorry for him, as he seemed even more lost than I was as a teenager. He is not hopeless, however, as evidenced by his love for his little sister, older brother, and deceased younger brother, whose death by leukemia must have contributed to his frame of mind. Published in 1951, more than 65 million copies have sold, despite the fact that it was banned in some schools and countries. Who knows -- maybe the ban increased curiosity and sales? The author, despite a very modest body of work, became more famous than his creation. Born in the NYC, he eventually moved to the country to live in peace. He was reclusive, and the people of his Vermont town protected his desire for privacy when journalists and fans asked for him. Since I missed the first half of the documentary, I researched him at Wiki and found several interesting nuggets. He dated Oona O’Neill, who eventually became Mrs. Charlie Chaplin. He was drafted in 1942 and fought on Utah Beach on D-Day and in the Battle of the Bulge. Proficient in French and German, he was tasked with the interrogation of prisoners. After the war, he was hospitalized a few weeks due to fatigue and stress. He began having short stories published in the late 40’s, eventually landing many in the New Yorker. He dabbled in Zen, Christian Science and Dianetics. Joyce Maynard, 35 years his junior and with whom Salinger lived for a while, wrote a memoir about her time with him. He was not pleased. Salerno spent 10 years putting his film together. It ends with info that thrills fans of the author. Now that he has passed away, his unpublished works are scheduled to be released between 2015 and 2020. He lived to 91.
I received an email from Amazon saying my latest review, Bill Brown’s Words and Guitar: A History of Lou Reed’s Music, was helpful to a customer. I hope he or she bought. I was surprised to find 13 of my reviews were helpful. I rate only books by struggling authors. I see no point in adding my opinion to those that attract scores of comments.
It was a beautiful day to sell books. Unfortunately, there was so much snow and ice around, and more than a block between my car and my usual nook, that I grudgingly decided not open shop. Another storm is on tap for tonight. So far, the forecast says it will turn to rain. If only...
Vic's 4th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Horror Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic’s Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
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