I thought that, after writing a post on James Patterson—the top book marketer—that I’d write a short post on J.D. Salinger—the anti-promoter.
James Patterson and J.D. Salinger shared the same publisher: Little, Brown & Co. That’s all they seem to have had in common.
Salinger, famed writer of Catcher in the Rye, died Wednesday at the age of 91. He wrote four books; his last release was Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction (1963).
By all accounts, he was a man who loved writing. In 1999, Salinger’s neighbor claimed Salinger told him he had at least fifteen unpublished books in a safe at his house. Salinger’s former girlfriend said he wrote daily.
In 1974, Salinger told The New York Times: “There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure.”
Salinger was a remarkable writer, but it’s easy for me to feel selfish as a reader and wonder why he didn’t care more about us—what books have we missed out on because of his intensely private nature?
I have similar feelings for Harper Lee. No other To Kill a Mockingbirds for us? Really? Please?
I’m a private person, myself. And an introvert. It is very difficult for me to gear myself up to do an appearance or go to a conference or workshop. But I see it as part of my job as a writer.
The job description of an author has definitely changed in the past twenty years. Unless you have a truly amazing talent, you really can’t get away with doing some form of promotion for your novel.
Readers are lucky they have Catcher in the Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird to read and enjoy. Maybe it’s just human nature that we want a little more.
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A quick note to mention we’re all lying about ourselves at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen today–and also giving one truth…but you’ll have to pick out the truth from the lies! Hope you’ll pop over: we’re having fun today.
I think you’re right. It is our nature to want more when we find something we like. Salinger’s work spoke to so many people in so many different ways. I think that’s one reason we want more. I wonder if his family will follow his example and not publish any of his papers or will they share what he’s wrote and kept to himself.
Elizabeth – Thanks for featuring Salinger – I will miss him. I empathize with him (and you) in that I’m not at all comfortable with self-promotion. But you’re right; in today’s world, if you want to be an author, it’s hard to avoid doing at least some self-promotion. It’s a challenge that each of us has to face.
Indeed the writer’s role has changed. Being a writer recluse today would not sell books.
I don’t know that Salinger was against publishing his more recent work. I believe he was against being in the public eye. I hope his family does publish what we haven’t seen. That’s an exciting thought.
Everyone desires privacy (except for maybe reality TV participants), but as social creatures we always have to share some part of ourselves, whether through conversations with friends and acquaintances or through writing, which at least allows us to polish what we want to say. We were lucky to see what little Salinger allowed us.
Perhaps Salinger felt he peaked with Catcher in the Rye. I suspect had he published those other books, Rye would still have been his “defining” book in the eyes of critics. So why bother subjecting his other work to critical opinion?
Not as good as Rye… not as good as Rye… not as good as Rye! The man had sense! And will be sadly missed. :(
Very interesting juxtaposition of two very different writers. I didn’t even realize they shared the same publisher. (I heard on NPR Salinger wrote only one book, but I guess that was wrong. Interesting.)
I think there is something very understandable about writing for one’s self. But once you choose to publish and showcase that talent, you give a part of yourself to the public. You really can’t get that back. A man like Salinger is an unfortunate combination. I would imagine intense concentration and talent comes in this combination often. Ah, artists!
Great post.
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
We read all of Salinger in high school. We had a very liberal (for those days) American lit teacher. I can still remember discussing the significance of naming a character Seymour Glass.
Great post.
I’m intensely private myself. I think it goes against the nature of most writers to get out there and ‘network,’ let alone to share their words.
I think there must be a bit of Salinger in me, because I loathe sharing my work. I believe it’s a personal choice, and I don’t feel any resentment for a writer who chooses to let their words be only for their eyes? I think it’s a gift when a writer shares their work. It’s a look into their minds, and that’s not something anyone should be ‘expected’ to give away.
If writing was for Salinger or Lee a private venture, I feel they should be respected for it, and thanked for the work they did feel comfortable sharing. Only my thoughts.
Corra
from the desk of a writer
Fabulous post. I would dearly have loved one more To Kill a Mockingbird, but am happy she gave us at least one.
Ditto Catcher in the Rye to Salinger fans, I guess (I am not one).
While as a reader, I wish there were more, I have to admire a writer who never stops writing, but refuses to share what he doesn’t want to share.
JDS – RIP
Too many writers going this month
Sorry to hear of his passing, although he lived a nice ripe old age. Catcher in the Rye was one of the most memorable books I read in High School.
Marvin D Wilson
Wonderful post and I agree that those very private authors have deprived readers in a sense. But I also see those truly gifted writers like Salinger as troubled souls who needed seclusion to maintain some semblance of sanity. I have long been of the mindset that really gifted creators in any medium border on insanity. Think of the “madness” of some of the great artists of the past.
I also agree that it would be awesome if Salinger’s family would arrange for publication of his other work.
Mason–His son seems more sympathetic to his dad. His daughter wrote a sort of scathing memoir about him…which I thought was sad. So there might be an epic battle, but we’ll hope not.
Margot–Even JK Rowling had to promote. It’s just incredibly hard not to these days..an unpleasant reality.
Teresa–We can only hope! I’m curious to hear what his willed wishes were, regarding his manuscripts.
Corra–I really do think it was the sharing part that he had a problem with. It makes me wonder if Salinger *were* Holden on some level…and he felt that putting Holden out there for praise and criticism was a real invasion of his privacy.
Rayna–It’s been a rough month for losing authors, hasn’t it?
Lorel–I wonder if he got any pleasure at all from the fact that people got pleasure from his book? I’m thinking maybe the whole sharing process was an invasion to him.
M.J.–That’s so true. But…I dunno, I still say buck up and develop a thick skin if you’re an author. I hear criticism fairly regularly but it doesn’t stop me from writing or submitting. Salinger just wasn’t right for the *business* of writing. He had the *writing* down pat, though.
Michele–Well, NPR is technically *right*–he wrote one NOVEL. The other books were collections of stories that had been previously released…I think to the New Yorker or something like that. But those were books that he allowed to have compiled and published…before he became just dead-set against publishing.
I think that maybe he was just a little bit nutty, too. But then lots of writers are. :)
Marvin–He didn’t exactly die young, did he?
Terry–I’d forgotten that! Seymour Glass. That’s right…I remember that discussion, too.
It was definitely a high school read for me, too. I didn’t like Holden Caulfield when I was 17, but he’s grown on me a bit.
I don’t know… I’m with Salinger on this one. Fortunately, we can publish and publicize without leaving the comforts of our chair and house. We have the wonderful tool called the internet.
I can send off a manuscript by email now. I get my books sent electronically and received that way. I get more readers daily than some get going to a book signing. I can answer questions from my readers almost immediately.
One of my favorite authors Val McDermid, she has a website and blog where she regularly interacts with her readers.
Maybe this is the reclusive writer in my trying to justify…
Good debate though.
ann
Oh, I didn´t realize Salinger was still alive (until the other day, I mean).
The contrast between Paterson and the two fantastic authors you mention is indeed enormous. On the other hand one must assume that Salinger and Harper Lee had other sources of income. If not, they might have had to be less reticent :D
It makes me wonder if Salinger *were* Holden on some level…and he felt that putting Holden out there for praise and criticism was a real invasion of his privacy.
I’ve not yet read the book (it’s on my TBR), but I identify with this. I have the same feelings when my work is critiqued. Sort of the sense that everyone is picking through your life/memories/wounds.
It’s understandable to do this as readers, but the instinct to recoil makes absolute sense to me.
Was ‘Catcher in the Rye’ literary or formula/commercial? I’m guessing literary, which could be the difference? A commercial writer composes for the audience; a literary writer composes for himself. Perhaps he didn’t realize the potency of fame until it came rolling at him.
Margaret Mitchell only wrote one novel too. She was intensely private and hated the fame, but for her I think it was fear of failure. Like another person commented here – could she really top that first book? She was scared to find out.
(Great discussion. I double-dipped!) :)
Corra
from the desk of a writer
“Catcher in the Rye” is one of the most memorable novels I’ve ever read. Who could ever forget Holden Caulfield? I think I understand Salinger now that I’ve begun writing. There’s a strong part of me that has no desire to share what I write. But there’s a stronger part that does.
Karen
At this point I am the anti-Salinger. I want to be published and share with the world my gift. But unlike Patterson, I couldn’t imagine diluting my talent ny publishing so many books each year.
Stephen Tremp
Ann–Thank goodness for modern technology! Online promoting is much, much better than in-person. I wonder if Salinger would have taken to it if computers were available when “Catcher” was released.
Corra–He was middle-aged when “Catcher” came out, but I’ve wondered if it was a really personal book for him…even if he wasn’t teenaged, himself.
It’s definitely lit fic..on the higher brow end of things, even if the language is lower brow. But the concepts were complex, I thought. And he does make some literary allusions in the novel.
Another “Gone with the Wind” would have been nice. I’d like to think Mitchell would have written more later, after getting used to life in the limelight, and not worried too much about her sequel. But 13 years after “Gone” was published, she was hit by a car and died right after.
Stephen–I think Patterson looks at it as product branding. He’s got a very modern, but commercial, viewpoint toward the process.
I guess you can’t force a writer to share more, but when it’s someone as great as he was, you naturally want more.
Helen
Straight From Hel
I wonder what the family will do with his manuscripts. People will be clamouring for them to be published!
If he was happy just writing for himself then he made his choice. It seems odd to tell other people about them though if you didn’t intend to share.
I’m sure I read “Catcher in The Rye” in high school, but I think I’ll miss Robert Parker more. Good tribute, Elizabeth.
OMG! I am a HUGE Salinger fan. The first thing I ever read was his collection of short stories, so amazing. And of course I read all his books and was so sorry that he stopped publishing. But…how did I miss his death this last week? This is what you get when you don’t watch TV and hole up in your office day in and day out. Wouldn’t it be something if it turns out he left 15 books, and if any of us every got to read them?
I am shy too.
Helen–Very true. Sigh!
Maryann–I completely agree with you…I think sometimes that writers’ eccentricities can tip the scales into something a little more problematic. Maybe privacy was a safety mechanism for him.
Dorte–I wondered about that, too! Of course, Lee would have done well with the royalties from the movie and both of them still sell a ton of books each year to students, etc, but–I’d imagine there would have to be some other money to live off of somewhere. Or else they’d have to live really frugally.
Karen–I wonder about that dichotomy with Salinger, too. Obviously at one point his desire to share was stronger than his desire for privacy. Maybe he just didn’t realize the attention he was in for?
Elizabeth–I have weeks like that, too…when I’m just totally out of touch.
I’m hoping that, now that his privacy can no longer be invaded, that the manuscripts will get into his agent’s hands. I’m sure the *agent* would like them to be released. :)
Jemi–There seems to be some degree of division between the son and daughter (resulting from an unflattering memoir the daughter wrote.) I’m curious to see how it will play out and what Salinger himself wanted to have happen after his death.
Cassandra–Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? I wonder if the neighbor pulled it out of him, of if part of Salinger really DID want to share…but not to the extent of having the whole world read him.
Judy–Me too. Of course, Parker’s body of work was so much bigger! He *did* feel like sharing, bless him.
I have to agree that a shared publisher was about the only thing that Patterson and Salinger had in common. “Catcher in the Rye” has always been one of my favorite novels, and it’s a testament that talent can still stand on its own. Also, I share your sentiments about wanting to read more of Salinger’s work. While I appreciate his desire to privacy, he was, in a way, keeping his gifts from all of us. I do respect his choice; it’s just unfortunate for readers.
I’ll go with nutty!
Michele
SouthernCityMysteries
Salinger lived his life as he wanted to, and for that he has my respect. I read something of Patterson’s once and can’t remember what it was. But I read Catcher in the Rye over 40 years ago and still have a few distinct memories of it.
Went to a workshop yesterday where the writers talked about why they write. Those agreed they write to be read…as do I, and I think many others.
So I wish Salinger had written more, shared more. But I believe writers have the right to make that decision.