Salinger, Dylan, and more Salinger
Lomanno (lomanno@ix.netcom.com)
Tue, 08 Sep 1998 16:03:30 -0400
I think Will Hochman grasped my intentions concerning Salinger and Dylan
more clearly than Robert Morris. I meant no offense by comparing the
two; in fact, I am a huge fan of both, and that's why I saw similarities
between them. By calling Dylan "reclusive" I only meant that he kept his
private life to himself. This was by no means an insult. What's wrong
with being reclusive? I know I am. No need to get angry! :)
Will Hochman's "fighting the phoney" idea was much more to my point.
Both artists hate being pursued as merely objects of popular culture.
They refuse to be exploited.
As far as "hating the spotlight," I meant exactly those things Robert
Morris pointed out, such as fans going through garbage and stalking.
Salinger has been dealing with these same problems for years. He's just
chosen to take a more radical approach to ending them (namely, dropping
out of society).
I mean, put yourself in Salinger's position: 45 years ago, he grants a
rare interview to a high school girl to be published in her high school
newspaper. Pretty harmless, eh? And what happens? She sells the story
to a major publication. Salinger has been exploited, and he's pissed.
Now, many decades later, Joyce Maynard comes along with her pouty memoir
explaining on the "Today" show how she HAS to get her relationship with
Salinger out in the open for her own peace of mind. If this woman ever
had any love or respect for Salinger, she would NEVER do this to him.
According to her Today show interview, Salinger was extremely angry at
her for "exploiting their relationship," and she didn't even care. Once
again, Salinger has been screwed by those he thought he could trust.
These are only two examples of Salinger's dealings with an insensitive
public (and private, for that matter). My point is, who can blame him
for shutting himself off from the world? What has it ever done for him?
The media has a way of sucking the life out of people, and everyone in
the public eye has a different way of dealing with it. You don't like
the Dylan analogy? How about Elvis Presley? How about Ernest Hemingway?
How about James Dean? Marilyn Monroe? Kurt Cobain? An argument could
be made that these people died as a result of fame and media
exploitation. Salinger and Dylan have simply chosen a different path;
they have chosen to live, yet they take an active role in fighting their
own exploitation. I admire that.
P.S. I don't mean to start an argument with any of you Elvis or
Hemingway or James Dean fans out there! I was only throwing out names of
famous people who have died. Please don't take offense!