J.D. Salinger was born on January 1st in New York, New York. His father was a rabbi who ran a cheese and ham import business, while his mother was Scottish-born. Salinger did not learn of his mother's roots until he reached the age of 14, due to the controversial nature of mixed marriages.
After graduating from the Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania, he attended New York University for a year before traveling to Europe to learn another language. Upon his return, Salinger took night classes at Columbia University. He met a Professor Whit Burnett, editor of Story magazine.
Burnett encouraged his student to create more often and Salinger's work soon appeared not only in Story but also in Collier's and the Saturday Evening Post.
In 1942, Salinger was drafted into the Army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He landed at Utah Beach in France during the Normandy Invasion. He also took part in the Battle of the Bulge. During his two-year term, Salinger continued to write. His new novel featured a deeply unsatisfied main character named Holden Caulfield.
When WWII ended, Salinger was hospitalized after suffering a nervous breakdown. While undergoing treatment, he met and married a woman named Sylvia, a German and possible former Nazi. However, their marriage was only eight months long. He later remarried to Claire Douglas, the daughter of high profile British art critic Robert Langdon Douglas.
In 1951, after returning to New York, Salinger published The Catcher in the Rye. Although his novel received critical acclaim, others found that it promoted immoral views. Nevertheless, this book has sold more than 65 million copies and is now an integral part of the academic literature curriculum.
Two years later, his unrivaled literary fame caused Salinger to retreat to a secluded, 90-acre home in Cornish, New Hampshire. His output significantly slowed while he tried to cut off contact with the public. Other collections of Salinger's work include Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters. "Hapworth 16, 1924," a 25,000 word short story, was the last of his pieces to be published during his lifetime.
Those close to Salinger claim the author continued to write on a daily basis. Speculation exists as to how many works remain unpublished. One account claims that as many as 10 finished novels may be locked away in his home. Over the next few years, five or so of his pieces are scheduled to be released to the public.
In 2013, Shane Salerno created a film documentary entitled Salinger, which debuted around the same time as his book with David Shields, a biography of the famed writer. See the link below for the official trailer.
Good stuff, Michelle! What's your favorite Salinger work?
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