Re: A Jumble After Jet Lag
Tim O'Connor (tim@roughdraft.org)
Fri, 24 Dec 1999 15:48:24 -0500
> 2. A tape recorder and JDS's voice: Anyone, offhand, recall any
> references to JDS's speaking voice in the secondary material? Or have
> _heard_ it and care to report?
Unusually distinguished, and delivered through one of the finer sets
of teeth seen
northeast of Yankee Stadium, a Voice of Authority, as Buddy Glass might
say.
> 4. World War II: Reading those posts, thought of JDS quote from 10/24/45:
> "So far the novels of this war have had too much of the strength, maturity
> and craftsmanship critics are looking for, and too little of the glorious
> imperfections which teeter and fall off the best minds. The men who have
> been in this war deserve some sort of trembling melody rendered without
> embarrassment or regret. I'll watch out for that book."
Whence this quote? Is it from a letter or is it cited as coming from a
letter. This is an interesting point of view, given that the war had
only just ended.
> 5. "An Ocean Full of Bowling Balls": Goodness, if Santa has rewarded
> Paul's standing at attention at his fax machine, let me know! If not, I
> find it somewhat difficult to reconcile the description of "AOFOBB" on the
> "Unpublished Stories" screen in Bananafish with the description of it in
> Hamilton's book. Hamilton says the manuscript is at the Firestone Library.
> Anyone ever read the damn thing?
I have ... with the perspective of later years, you can see threads of
(a) the creation of a tangled family, though named "Caulfield" instead
of "Glass"; (b) an obsession with siblings; (c) material that would
eventually be recycled into Catcher; and (d) a letter from Holden, who
is at camp, making complaints not unlike those of Seymour, in
"Hapworth," years later. (Not intellectual, like Seymour, but just a
kid.)
It's like a pot of soup with all kinds of familiar bits floating in it
and dialogue that seems more like Hemingway's character in "Soldier's
Home" but also with that Salinger rhythm and off-beat spelling.
Not a great story -- more showing rather than telling, to repeat an old
writer's axiom -- but interesting to archaeologists.
--tim o'connor