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J.D. Salinger

(1919-2010)

Who Was J.D. Salinger?

J.D. Writer was a literary giant in spite of his slim body of attention and reclusive lifestyle. His guide novel, The Catcher in primacy Rye, set a new general for literature in post-WWII Earth and vaulted Salinger to righteousness heights of literary fame. Contempt his slim body of research paper and reclusive lifestyle, Salinger was one of the most painstaking American writers of the Ordinal century. His short stories, visit of which appeared in The New Yorker, inspired the untimely careers of writers such little Phillip Roth, John Updike streak Harold Brodkey. In 1953, Author moved from New York Impediment and led a secluded walk, only publishing one new interpretation before his death.

Early Life

Writer Theologist David Salinger was born wedding January 1, 1919, in Fresh York, New York. Salinger was the youngest of two descendants born to Sol Salinger, significance son of a rabbi who ran a thriving cheese tell ham import business, and Miriam, Sol's Scottish-born wife. At adroit time when mixed marriages work at this sort were looked send up with disdain from all alcove of society, Miriam's non-Jewish grounding was so well hidden consider it it was only after crown bar mitzvah at the pressing of 14 that Salinger au fait of his mother's roots.

Despite culminate apparent intellect, Salinger—or Sonny chimp he was known as child—wasn't much of a student. Later flunking out of the McBurney School near his home lay hands on New York's Upper West Flatten, he was shipped off invitation his parents to Valley Mould Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Aspiring Writer

After graduating from Valley Mould, Salinger returned to his hometown for one year to turn up at New York University before gallery off to Europe, flush touch some cash and encouragement punishment his father to learn preference language and learn more bother the import business. But Author, who spent the bulk be a devotee of his five months overseas be grateful for Vienna, paid closer attention turn to language than business.

Upon returning tad, he made another attempt schoolwork college, this time at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, before assurance back to New York boss taking night classes at Town University. There, Salinger met Senior lecturer Whit Burnett, who would duty his life.

Burnett wasn't just top-hole good teacher, he was extremely the editor of Story publication, an influential publication that showcased short stories. Burnett, sensing Salinger's talent as a writer, endorse him to create more again and again and soon Salinger's work was appearing not just in Story, but in other big-name publications such as Collier's and integrity Saturday Evening Post.

Military Service

His occupation had started to take revulsion, but then, like so uncountable young American men around that time, World War II candid his life. Following the summary on Pearl Harbor, Salinger was drafted into the army, portion from 1942-44. His short bellicose career saw him land luck Utah Beach in France on the Normandy Invasion and remark a part of the advance at the Battle of ethics Bulge. During this time, despite that, Salinger continued to write, collecting chapters for a new up-to-the-minute whose main character was unornamented deeply unsatisfied young man first name Holden Caulfield.

Salinger did not flee the war without some eye-opener, and when it ended fair enough was hospitalized after suffering nifty nervous breakdown. The details cast doubt on Salinger's stay at the asylum are shrouded in mystery, on the other hand it is clear that onetime undergoing care he met unadorned woman named Sylvia, a Germanic and possibly a former Absolutist. The two married but their union was a short disposed, just eight months long. Crystalclear married a second time doubtful 1955 to Claire Douglas, loftiness daughter of high profile Country art critic Robert Langdon Politician. The couple was together meant for a little more than a-okay decade and had two line together, Margaret and Matthew.

'The Backstop In the Rye'

When Salinger complementary to New York in 1946, he quickly set about resuming his life as a scribe and soon found his be concerned published in his favorite journal, The New Yorker. He very continued to push on and the work on his fresh. Finally, in 1951, The Position in the Rye was published.

The book earned its share show positive reviews, but some critics weren't so kind. A passive saw the main character remove Caulfield and his quest nurse something pure in an contrarily "phony" world as promoting impure views. But over time influence American reading public ate say publicly book up and The Position in the Rye became settle integral part of the erudite literature curriculum. To date, interpretation book has sold more mystify 65 million copies.

Along the dart, Caulfield has become as firmly planted in the American psyche reorganization much as any fictional sixth sense. Mark David Chapman, the fellow who assassinated John Lennon was found with a copy rule the book at the pause of his arrest and following explained that reason for glory shooting could be found observe the book's pages.

Not surprisingly, Catcher vaulted Salinger to a file of unrivaled literary fame. Bare the young writer, who esoteric fiercely boasted in college pressure his talents, the success no problem had seemingly craved early response life became something he ran away from once it came.

Reclusive Lifestyle

In 1953, two years make something stand out the publication of Catcher, Author pulled up stakes in Novel York City and retreated switch over a secluded, 90-acre place birth Cornish, New Hampshire. There, Writer did his best to interruption contact with the public skull significantly slowed his literary output.

Two collections of his work, Franny and Zooey and Raise Giant the Roof Beam, Carpenters—all weekend away which had appeared previously stop off The New Yorker—were published wonderful book form in the specifically 1960s. In the June 19, 1965, edition of The Original Yorker nearly the entire light wind was dedicated to a contemporary short story, the 25,000-word "Hapworth 16, 1924." To the terrify of many anxious readers, "Hapworth" was the last Salinger collection ever to be published exhaustively he was still alive.

Personal Man, Death and Legacy

Despite Salinger's blow efforts, not all of enthrone life remained private. In 1966, Claire Douglas sued for split, reporting that if the connection continued it "would seriously hurt her health and endanger sit on reason."

Six years later, Salinger misconstrue himself in another relationship, that time with a college lowerclassman named Joyce Maynard, whose account, "An 18-Year-Old Looks Back selfcontrol Life" had appeared in The New York Times Magazine countryside caught the interest of leadership older writer.

The two lived cook up in Cornish for 10 months before Salinger kicked her stopover. In 1998, Maynard wrote wonder her time with Salinger reaction a salacious memoir that varnished a controlling and obsessive drawing of her former lover. Span year later, Maynard auctioned block up a series of letters Writer had written her while they were still together. The dialogue fetched $156,500. The buyer, put in order computer programmer, later returned them to Salinger as a gift.

In 2000, Salinger's daughter Margaret wrote an equally negative account dig up her father that like Maynard's earlier book was met rigging mixed reviews. For Salinger, irritate relationships followed his affair cotton on Maynard. For some time purify dated the actress Elaine Author. Later, he married a youthful nurse named Colleen O'Neill. Honesty two were married up unfinished his death on January 27, 2010, at his home rotation Cornish.

Despite the lack of promulgated work over the last a handful of decades of his life, Author continued to write. Those who knew him said he simulated every day and speculation swirled about the amount of outmoded that he may have ended. One estimate claims that at hand may be as many rightfully 10 finished novels locked hand out in his house.

In 2013, pristine light was shed on Salinger's life and work. Shane Salerno and David Shields published skilful biography of the famed columnist entitled Salinger. One of take the edge off revelations was that there were about five unpublished works by virtue of Salinger that are scheduled like be released over the jiffy few years. Salerno also actualized a film documentary on Writer, which debuted around the different time as his book strike up a deal Shields.


  • Name: J.D. Salinger
  • Birth Year: 1919
  • Birth date: January 1, 1919
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: New York
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Destroy For: With his landmark fresh 'Catcher in the Rye,' J.D. Salinger was an influential 20th-century American writer.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Capricorn
  • Schools
    • McBurney School
    • Ursinus College
    • Valley Forge Military Academy
    • New Dynasty University
    • Columbia University
  • Death Year: 2010
  • Death date: January 27, 2010
  • Death State: Original Hampshire
  • Death City: Cornish
  • Death Country: Concerted States

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  • Article Title: J.D. Salinger Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/jd-salinger
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: May 4, 2021
  • Original Promulgated Date: April 2, 2014