Re: Salinger-related article in Sept/Oct 2002 BOOK magazine

--- Will Hochman <hochmanw1@southernct.edu> wrote:
>
>
> As I read your description of Rakoff's job, I began
> to understand her
> angst. There's so much yearning in letters to
> Salinger. I understand
> that readers feel connected to authors and I'm glad
> for it. But it's
> sad that people just don't understand that the best
> of what Salinger
> can give us was offered in his fiction.
>

will,

i agree the best of salinger is in his fiction. but i
quite understand people (especially the very young)
wanting to 'touch' the man. after all, doesn't
holden, after reading a great book, want to phone the
author? (no doubt salinger regrets that part of 'the
catcher'.)

i confess i once posted something to windsor, vt. and
didn't even get it back. just as well. in the
'letters to salinger' there's such a poignant one
about a young author sending a copy of her first book
inscribed to salinger and getting it back undelivered.
granted, he must be deluged with stuff, and i imagine
the best policy is to say no to anything that doesn't
have a recognizable name and return address. though,
now that i think of it, how did betty eppes get
through? and once i saw a salinger letter at a book
fair which obviously was a reply to a fan letter.

there does seem to be something in most of us that
wants some 'personal' contact with a writer whose
writings one adores. even if it's just driving
through cornish (but not ruining the rose beds), or a
hail-mary letter to windsor, or holding an inscribed
first edition of 'franny and zooey'.

but yes , in the end it's the books that matter. the
life was/is his, though one fears that after his death
there might be more 'mud' a la joyce maynard. but
that shouldn't affect the books, though i secretly
believe such things do. one can't get back to the
pure state of reading; when one knew nothing about
the author (not even his picture), and one read those
four paperbacks for the first time.

kim

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Received on Thu Aug 22 12:43:56 2002