life is a game, boy. life is a game that one plays according to the rules.

When I wake up in the morning I usually lay in bed for a while and check my email, facebook and what not from my iPhone. I play with Hank a little bit (he chases my toes that are under the sheets). Today when I woke up; I stopped at some really sad news. Literary great, J.D. Salinger passed away.


Now some of you may not think this is worthy of a post, but though I didn't know him, Salinger was important to me. Reading Catcher in the Rye when I was young was like looking at a portrait of myself on paper. When I was older he became a literary influence; inspiring me to write; opening my eyes to different types of prose and other Beat Generation authors.


I forget who did the survey, but a handful of years back a magazine did a "greatest literary heros" list and Holden Caulfield topped that list. The book is still a best seller. Franny and Zoey are still there for me; their musty pages on my bookshelf. Salinger afforded me, all of us, this. His brilliance brought us one of the greatest works of literature of our time.

Salinger was 91 years old. I suppose we can only hope to have such a brilliant mind, and live such a long meaniful life such as his.

2 comments:

Erin Wallace said...

Who hasn't in some way been fascinated by "The Catcher in the Rye?" Great book, wonderful author.

Anna said...

I haven't read The Catcher in the Rye myself but can truly understand the feeling of missing someone that you haven't met but feel very connected to. 91 years is a long life though and we can be happy about that.
My best wishes
xxx
Anna