Noted recluse and occasional author J.D. Salinger was born on this date in 1919.
He is probably best remembered, as an author, as the man who wrote The Catcher in the Rye. I read it for the first time when I was in college; I bought a nice hardbound retro-esque copy of it 10 years ago but still haven't read it. He went on to write numerous other short stories, many of which focus on the Glass family. I'm looking forward to re-reading Nine Stories this year.
He is probably best remembered, as a person, as the old man most likely to tell you to get the hell off his front lawn.
Salinger died last January. I keep hoping that he wrote more stories that were never published, and that they will one day; I consider that possibility less likely by the day.
I must say that while "Catcher in the Rye" is the acclaimed novel of its type I much prefer "a Separate Piece" by John Knowles. Not sure what else he might have written. Maybe it is just because i read it first.
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