Comments on: What J.D. Salinger was missing http://www.gerryboyle.com/jack-mcmorrow/jd-salinger-missing/ Crime Novelist and Author of the Acclaimed Jack McMorrow Mystery Series Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:33:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: admin http://www.gerryboyle.com/jack-mcmorrow/jd-salinger-missing/comment-page-1/#comment-965 admin Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:46:06 +0000 http://www.gerryboyle.com/?p=596#comment-965 Interesting. I don't think of Holden as a jerk at all. I think of him as having been disappointed by life early on and now reluctant to bare himself to anything or anyone. His jerkiness is his defense, his preservation of self. I think a lot of jerky kids are like that. Their hostility is a way of keeping the world at bay. Once burned, twice a malcontent. At some point they trusted. Anyway, recluse vs. self-promoter. It's a tough balance. Part of the conflict is that most writers don't like talking about themselves, even the ones who write about themselves. But we are interested in people and character and motivation and loss and joy and triumph and disappointment. You can feel that time spent not exploring those things is time wasted. I find that readers, like other people, help me try to understand the things that I explore in my books. And I like people, or at least find them interesting, even or especially the jerky ones. Haven't read Steinbeck in so long that I hesitate to offer an opinion. I can tell you that I just finished a fascinating book about the Dust Bowl and the forces that created it. THE WORST HARD TIME by Timothy Egan. Riveting. Sad. In many ways, unbelievable that this could have happened on this scale in this country. But we humans are shortsighted at best. It is our most predictable behavior. And I have to admit, I did just start rereading Dickens. Oliver Twist. Good stuff. Interesting. I don’t think of Holden as a jerk at all. I think of him as having been disappointed by life early on and now reluctant to bare himself to anything or anyone. His jerkiness is his defense, his preservation of self. I think a lot of jerky kids are like that. Their hostility is a way of keeping the world at bay. Once burned, twice a malcontent. At some point they trusted.

Anyway, recluse vs. self-promoter. It’s a tough balance. Part of the conflict is that most writers don’t like talking about themselves, even the ones who write about themselves. But we are interested in people and character and motivation and loss and joy and triumph and disappointment. You can feel that time spent not exploring those things is time wasted. I find that readers, like other people, help me try to understand the things that I explore in my books. And I like people, or at least find them interesting, even or especially the jerky ones.

Haven’t read Steinbeck in so long that I hesitate to offer an opinion. I can tell you that I just finished a fascinating book about the Dust Bowl and the forces that created it. THE WORST HARD TIME by Timothy Egan. Riveting. Sad. In many ways, unbelievable that this could have happened on this scale in this country. But we humans are shortsighted at best. It is our most predictable behavior.

And I have to admit, I did just start rereading Dickens. Oliver Twist. Good stuff.

]]> By: Andrea Kuhlthau http://www.gerryboyle.com/jack-mcmorrow/jd-salinger-missing/comment-page-1/#comment-956 Andrea Kuhlthau Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:33:18 +0000 http://www.gerryboyle.com/?p=596#comment-956 Gerry, We had a discussion thread on Facecrack about Holden, whether he is truly an anti-hero or just a jerk. (we may have used a less-kind epithet) I'll be very interested to see what kind of posthumous publications pop up since Mr. Salinger has passed away. It seems like the reclusive artist type is outnumbered by "your" type. It's refreshing that you are open about your craft, and don't act as though it is some great mystery that others can't possibly understand. I am probably being TOTALLY unfair in characterizing Salinger this way, since I am no scholar of his work or his life. And from what most people say, celebrity can be a bit of a drag, so maybe secluding himself was a good way to stay sane. But you may be right that he missed out on the benefits of creating something that has touched, inspired, or even pissed off so many people over so many years. I wonder if it is the critics that make writers decide to close themselves off from the world? I am currently getting caught up on all the books I never (but should have) read in high school and college. Okay, let me clarify, only the ones I WANT to read. I'm not dusting off any Dickens. But I am reading all the Steinbeck in the house...I wonder what he was like? Did he go out shopping at the Piggly Wiggly and respond to letters from his fans? He seems to have been brutalized a bit by the critics, everything he did was compared to Grapes of Wrath....what a bummer. This is not a cohesive posting but I do like how you make me think! Speaking of which, what do YOU think of East of Eden? I just started it, after finishing the brilliant but depressing The Winter of our Discontent... :P Gerry,
We had a discussion thread on Facecrack about Holden, whether he is truly an anti-hero or just a jerk. (we may have used a less-kind epithet) I’ll be very interested to see what kind of posthumous publications pop up since Mr. Salinger has passed away. It seems like the reclusive artist type is outnumbered by “your” type. It’s refreshing that you are open about your craft, and don’t act as though it is some great mystery that others can’t possibly understand. I am probably being TOTALLY unfair in characterizing Salinger this way, since I am no scholar of his work or his life. And from what most people say, celebrity can be a bit of a drag, so maybe secluding himself was a good way to stay sane. But you may be right that he missed out on the benefits of creating something that has touched, inspired, or even pissed off so many people over so many years. I wonder if it is the critics that make writers decide to close themselves off from the world? I am currently getting caught up on all the books I never (but should have) read in high school and college. Okay, let me clarify, only the ones I WANT to read. I’m not dusting off any Dickens. But I am reading all the Steinbeck in the house…I wonder what he was like? Did he go out shopping at the Piggly Wiggly and respond to letters from his fans? He seems to have been brutalized a bit by the critics, everything he did was compared to Grapes of Wrath….what a bummer.

This is not a cohesive posting but I do like how you make me think! Speaking of which, what do YOU think of East of Eden? I just started it, after finishing the brilliant but depressing The Winter of our Discontent…

:P

]]>