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J.D. Salinger's unseen writings to be published, family confirms


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Longer version of the interview with Matt Salinger.  

Weirdly enough, I paid a visit to the Central Park carousel several weeks ago while I was in NYC, given that it's hallowed ground for a Salinger fan.  A somewhat overcast, cold and windy wintry day, very Holden-like weather for it.

Edited by ghost of miles
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7 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Longer version of the interview with Matt Salinger.  

Weirdly enough, I paid a visit to the Central Park carousel several weeks ago while I was in NYC, given that it's hallowed ground for a Salinger fan.  A somewhat overcast, cold and windy wintry day, very Holden-like weather for it.

Any ducks?

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  • 8 months later...
20 minutes ago, Jim Duckworth said:

40 years ago my then girlfriend wrote and received a reply from J. D. Salinger.  He (correctly) suggested that she have nothing to do with me.  "Run" was how he put it.

A) you look pretty good for 51 in your profile photo ;)

and 

B) why was your girlfriend seeking relationship advice from JD Salinger? I don't know what's more unlikely, asking for it or actually receiving it.

and finally

C) Did she run?

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Yes.  It is odd and at this remove seems unbelievable and unlikely, but she was a writer and communicated extensively with anyone and everyone.  If I remember correctly she babbled about a number of things in a letter she just wrote and sent without provocation, but it was the talk of our relationship that caught Mr. Salinger's attention and triggered a response.

Sadly, she should have run from the younger callous me.

BTW I am 62,

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7 hours ago, Jim Duckworth said:

Yes.  It is odd and at this remove seems unbelievable and unlikely, but she was a writer and communicated extensively with anyone and everyone.  If I remember correctly she babbled about a number of things in a letter she just wrote and sent without provocation, but it was the talk of our relationship that caught Mr. Salinger's attention and triggered a response.

Sadly, she should have run from the younger callous me.

BTW I am 62,

Great story nonetheless. 

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15 hours ago, Jim Duckworth said:

Yes.  It is odd and at this remove seems unbelievable and unlikely, but she was a writer and communicated extensively with anyone and everyone.  If I remember correctly she babbled about a number of things in a letter she just wrote and sent without provocation, but it was the talk of our relationship that caught Mr. Salinger's attention and triggered a response.

Sadly, she should have run from the younger callous me.

BTW I am 62,

I extrapolated out from my presumption you were 11 at the time.  I guess I should have extrapolated from what, 16? Did she tell you that she was talking about the relationship in this unsolicited letter first, or did she hit you with "you know, JD Salinger told me I should run like hell to get away from you" after she got his response?

The latter would get a big :o or :o:o.

(All said in good fun, Jim.)

Edited by Dan Gould
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I could not keep up with her incessant communication, so I only heard about it when she received the unexpected, even by her, response.  She found his advice amusing-but it was oddly prescient given the way things would turn out.  I carry the guilt not only of ending the relationship very badly, but also for casting a dark shadow over the extremely rare and wonderful experience of actually getting a letter from Mr. Salinger.

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otoh, Ann Landers/Dear Abby would have sufficed, so although ambition is to be applauded, going looking for extraneous drama from completely irrelevant sources is damn near always a red flag. However fortunate it is that she got away from you, it's probably just as fortunate that you got away from her.

Or you could have stayed together and ended up on Sally Jesse or Murray or Springer, there's always that.

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