Betraying Salinger
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Betraying Salinger
1–10 of 29 posts
Re: Betraying Salinger
#2While I understand where J D Salinger is coming from, this reminds me of a couple customers that I've dealt with over the years. They come up with some ridiculous request, and you smile and agree because they're the customer and you want the deal, then the whole thing turns out to be a lot more trouble than it's worth.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#3A review of the story in question, for those who are curious:
http://www.thesatirist.com/books/HAPWORTH.html
I also tracked down a copy of the full text, but in the interests of some kind of vague respect for copyright I'll leave you to figure out how to obtain it for yourself.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#4An interesting tale. Salinger wanted the book published but also wanted nobody to know that it had been published.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#5guy sounds like a first class self-obsessed jerk. World's full of 'em.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#6guy sounds like a first class self-obsessed jerk. World's full of 'em.
Yes, but a self-obsessed jerk who created truly great work. I will forgive nearly every personal flaw in the face of great work.
Also, thanks for reminding me. I haven't been doing much truly great work lately...it's time to step it up a notch. I sure aint gonna be winning any politeness contests, so the body of work is what matters.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#7Wow. If he had actually finished producing the book it would quickly become a bestseller once someone discovered its existence. I think the old man would have had a chuckle buying the plain-looking book at some small, non-chain bookstore.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#8guy sounds like a first class self-obsessed jerk. World's full of 'em.
Yes, but a self-obsessed jerk who created truly great work. I will forgive nearly every personal flaw in the face of great work. Also, thanks for reminding me. I haven't been doing much truly great work lately...it's time to step it up a notch. I sure aint gonna be winning any politeness contests, so the body of work is what matters.
The artist is separate from the art.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#9I think this publishing attempt was doomed from the outset. There was no way that the attempt could ever escape notice for long; and any notice made of it would have upset Salinger. At best, Salinger would have felt duped, if contracts etc. had proceeded to the point that publishing could no longer be aborted.
Re: Betraying Salinger
#10An interesting tale. Salinger wanted the book published but also wanted nobody to know that it had been published.
Reminds me of the line in Catcher in the Rye where Holden says that if he could play the piano as well as... some guy was currently playing piano, he would play it in the closet.