JD SALINGER

When I was a young writer, a friend encouraged me to send my Vietnam novel to a friend of his at WW Norton publishers. They rejected it almost by return mail. Some in-house reader had written on it, "I expected something like War and Peace and all I got was a war story." I laughed out loud. Guess I should have been like JD Salinger that I strongly suspect lied about his heroic military service or at least somebody lied for him. 

I've always stood in awe of JD Salinger. I think most writers or even us "would be," have. I remember reading "Catcher in the Rye" in High School. My teacher Ms Dixon said, "this book will change your life." She mostly thought that about everything, but it did make an impact. And, over the years I've kind of made Salinger a hero. 

Well, a recent book, Salinger, just plied away sainthood. Before ordering, I read a review in "Time Mag." They were way too kind. Salinger is a realization that God gave all this talent to an "asshole," kind of like Steve Jobs. I don't get it. Why He wouldn't throw a little talent my way is a mystery. 

Here is another angle on Salinger. When it comes to sex, we are like in the dark ages and in my opinion even the great, JD Salinger (From the book). The patron saint of literature meets this young girl when she is fourteen. For years he writes to her. Obviously with great feeling. Several years later he f..ks her. The next day, he hardly acknowledges she is alive. What happened? He had an orgasm, got off, couldn't get it up, what! 

What kind of a person would do this? In his writing, Salinger can be who he wants, even the good person. Maybe the "real" person just couldn't measure up in real life.