when i was in the sixth grade, i fell madly in Love with john lennon. simply, plainly, he became, though i hate to use the word, my idol. when i was in the seventh grade, i saw a documentary that chronicled the life of mark david chapman, mr. lennon's assassin. chapman used CITR to justify his act. he wanted to be his own catcher in the rye. he felt that if john lennon were to continue in his manner, releasing albums to satisfy the public and doing so many interviews, though just years before he had committed himself to the "househusband" life, he would fall off the cliff. chapman stated that he was only trying to preserve mr. lennon's near godliness. i was in the seventh grade when i heard about that. i hadn't read the book yet, and i began to regard it with just a bit of hatred, for i dimly saw it only as the reason mr. lennon was dead. when i was in the eighth grade, i began to change. i challenged many of the institutions that had bound me (largely with mr. lennon's help). i'm not citing any "bad girl" revolution, just an awakening (one which i didn't have to drown myself for). the summer after my eighth grade year, i felt brave enough to read CITR. i fell madly in Love with holden caulfield. fond wishes... a very young, silly linny ps. though i've been on the list for a while, i am one of those naughty lurkers you hear so much about. boo :-)