Subject: Re: Fwd: A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
From: Jim Rovira (jrovira@drew.edu)
Date: Sat Apr 20 2002 - 09:21:47 EDT
Pretty good, will, and kudos to you... :). I liked your answers very
much.
Jim
Will Hochman wrote:
>
> Although Chris Kubica is all about publicity for Letters to JD, the
> reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education insisted on
> interviewing me so here is the one contribution I'll make to the
> book's hype. Thanks for the Salon link Midge, will
>
> > Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 08:00:31 -0400 (EDT)
> > From: scott.mclemee@chronicle.com
> > To: hochman@southernct.edu
> > Subject: A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
> >
> >
> > This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education
> > (http://chronicle.com) was forwarded to you from:
> > scott.mclemee@chronicle.com
> >
> >
> >
> > From the issue dated April 19, 2002
> >
> >
> >
> > A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
> >
> > By SCOTT McLEMEE
> >
> > "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all
> > done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a
> > terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the
> > phone whenever you felt like it." So says Holden Caulfield in
> > The Catcher in the Rye. Generations of readers have
> > experienced just that feeling of immediacy in their encounter
> > with J.D. Salinger -- who does not, however, answer many
> > calls. Letters to J.D. Salinger (University of Wisconsin
> > Press), edited by Chris Kubica and Will Hochman, collects
> > dozens of open letters to the reclusive author, submitted by
> > scholars, fiction writers, and students. Mr. Hochman, who
> > wrote his dissertation on critical responses to Mr. Salinger,
> > is an assistant professor of English at Southern Connecticut
> > State University. He participates in Bananafish, a discussion
> > list about the author found on a Web site devoted to the book
> > (http://www.jdsalinger.com).
> >
> > Q. Do you think Mr. Salinger ever regrets that Holden
> > Caulfield made that statement about calling the author up
> > whenever you feel like it? He's been in seclusion for more
> > than three decades now.
> >
> > A. You can almost see him pulling his hair out. But it's part
> > of a very intimate tone in his narration. Breaking though what
> > Salinger calls "the membrane" is a rhetorical strategy that he
> > uses throughout his work. It could be the best marketing ploy
> > of all times: Tell people that cozying up to the author is
> > cool, then withdraw and leave them wanting more. I don't think
> > that was his idea, really, but it worked out that way.
> >
> > Q. The '50s, when Mr. Salinger published "The Catcher in the
> > Rye," was also the era of the New Criticism. Students were
> > taught to appreciate literary works for their language and
> > structure -- not for the author's intent or the reader's
> > response.
> >
> > A. Salinger's fiction is very affective -- that's "affective"
> > with an "a." Readers typically respond to it emotionally, and
> > to my mind that's a great improvement on the New Criticism. In
> > his letter in the book, Frederick Busch [a novelist] says,
> > "You, sir, taught us to risk emotion; to permit its very
> > telling to be part of the story's action; to dare to love our
> > characters out loud upon our pages; and to strive for clarity
> > while respecting the mystery at the core of our characters,
> > our readers, and our selves." That's at the heart of the whole
> > collection.
> >
> > Q. Are plans under way to make sure the author sees this book?
> >
> > A. I have no interest in breaking through to the
> > flesh-and-blood Salinger. Based on the response we got to the
> > call for submissions, I know that this is a guy who's had
> > readers tugging on his soul for a lifetime. It's hard to
> > imagine him picking up this book with any gusto. I'd like to
> > think he might look at it with amusement, though. In a way,
> > the book isn't really meant for him. We're helping his readers
> > communicate with each other.
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> >
> > This article from The Chronicle is available online at this address:
> >
> > http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i32/32a01802.htm
> >
> > If you would like to have complete access to The Chronicle's Web
> > site, a special subscription offer can be found at:
> > http://chronicle.com/4free
>
> > _________________________________________________________________
> >
> > You may visit The Chronicle as follows:
> >
> > * via the World-Wide Web, at http://chronicle.com
> > * via telnet at chronicle.com
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Copyright 2002 by The Chronicle of Higher Education
>
> --
> Will Hochman
>
> Associate Professor of English
> Southern Connecticut State University
> 501 Crescent St, New Haven, CT 06515
> 203 392 5024
>
> http://www.southernct.edu/~hochman/willz.html
-
* Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message
* UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b25 : Mon Jun 24 2002 - 10:28:30 EDT