Subject: New Yorker Rejections
From: citycabn (citycabn@gateway.net)
Date: Wed Feb 23 2000 - 12:38:57 EST
Recently, I stood in the aisle of my neighborhood bookstore and looked up
each reference to JDS in the index of _About Town_, the new book about "The
New Yorker", which Paul M. alerted us to. (There are a goodly number.)
If I am not mistaken, it said that JDS received 3 rejections in 1948, and 7
in 1949!! (Not to mention a whole lot of pre-'46 rejections, including
poems.) I wish I had the book, or maybe Paul could correct me re these
figures. I do know I had to lean against a bookcase to steady myself after
reading of the copious rejections *after* the success of APDFB.
Also, unless it was a typo in the book, the first mention of a Bananafish
story is put at 1947. Included is the info Paul related earlier re adding
the beginning. The first rewrite to APDFB was rejected, and it was the
second to hit bingo.
There is a full page reproduction of a Lobrano letter to JDS's agent re a
story which seems to be an Ur-Catcher story (not the two from 22 Stories)
which was fascinating.
And I recall the author lists many titles of rejected pre-46 stories.
One senses there are a LOT more never-published stories than previously
thought.
Sorry this is so sketchy. IF someone has the book handy, PLEASE correct any
errors here. And add more details!
--Bruce
PS: I must say I found the John Cheever quotes re Salinger a bit jarring.
Especially the one where he writes of an argument with William Maxwell and
Cheever says, "You invented Salinger and Brodkey but you didn't invent me!"
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