Subject: Re: "Salinger's Glass stories as a composite novel"
From: Steve Brown (ganesha@rochester.rr.com)
Date: Sun Aug 05 2001 - 02:53:53 GMT
> The photograph of Salinger in the Alsen book strikes me as quite
> anachronistic. In 1979, Salinger hadn't published for 14 years. Why not
> include one of the photos from his publishing period, if a photo is
> necessary at all? It isn't, because as you say, it "so much obscures what
he
> is about it is almost funny". Surely the publishers knew that Salinger
> firmly disliked having his photograph published, and out of respect they
> should have refrained from doing so.
What right does salinger have to hide behind the hedges of his home, paid
for and maintained by people like us, and the high schools across America
which purchase several thousand copies per year of catcher. Salinger
reminds me greatly of the business man in "The Little Prince" so upset to be
disturbed, because he is so set on "matters of consequence" what is it that
jd has to hide from? it seems that someone who has the depth of
understanding that I get from salinger, particularly the Glass stories,
would have no reason to be concerned with the well being of his publishing
profits, which is ostensibly the reason he so carefully protects his written
works. I am sick of people arguing this or that about the privacy of
salinger, whether violating it is ridiculous, giving directions to his house
and saying "don't bug him"...if salinger wants to hide...fine, hide under a
rock, take away your books, or die, just do something, stop staying so far
removed from your message if you are there to clarify it. for me, Franny
and Zooey was a strong, emotional, human, easily understood version of
Hinduism's The Bhagavad Gita. Giving a view of what is real and what isn't
is what salinger does for me, and as a scholar of Hinduism, Salinger really
speaks to me. but I'd like to hear what he has to say now...why did he
write these books, these stories...why does some of it stay published and
some remaining in the dark corners of musty ladies home journals and
Atlantic monthlys to be dug out by the determined fan? what gives salinger
the right to hide? the authors life is a public one, the life of anyone
supported economically by a fan-base is indebted to that fan-base, for their
lively hood. salinger does get off the hook just because he's brilliant.
that's what I think.
Steve
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