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Classic Authors: J.D. Salinger - Page 2

© Susan Jensen

According to some, J.D. Salinger's writing finally received some recognition in 1948, with the publication of 3 stories in the New Yorker: "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut," and "Just Before the War with the Eskimos." The New Yorker was considered the top market among young writers seeking publication. Other stories were published in Mademoiselle, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, and Story. He also worked diligently at producing a novel from his collection of Holden Caulfield stories. The book, 10 years in the making, was published as The Catcher in the Rye in 1951. Although many critics lauded the book as sheer genius, it was not enormously popular. It stayed on the New York Time's "best-sellers" list for 29 weeks, reaching only fourth place. The book's success and his sudden popularity made J.D. Salinger uncomfortable. He asked that his photograph not be included on the book's dust jacket, and even fled for Europe when he feared losing his privacy. When the excitement over his book did not die down, J.D. moved to Cornish, New Hampshire, where he continues to live on the outskirts of town.

In 1953, The Catcher in the Rye was published in paperback, becoming an instant best-seller. In the same year, J.D. published Nine Stories, a collection of his short stories, which received much success. After a long silence, J.D. published "Fanny" in the New Yorker. The tale was the first in a series of stories about the Glass family; eventually the stories were collected and published as Fanny and Zooey in 1961. The book was incredibly successful, selling more than 250,000 copies in the first two weeks after its publication. "Hapworth 16, 1924," his last published story, appeared in the New Yorker on June 19, 1965. The story was re-published in 1997, but J.D. Salinger has published nothing new since then.

In 1955, J.D. married Claire Douglas, with whom he has two children. The two were divorced in 1967, and he has reportedly married again. Although he remains reclusive, he did make the news when he sued his biographer for using too many quotations from his personal letters. Also, according to an article in the Washington Post, J.D. Salinger hunted down the Web master of a page about him and forced him to pull the Web site off the Internet. As always, J.D. Salinger protects his privacy by any and every means.

Sources

French, William. J.D. Salinger, Revised Edition. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1976.

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