Fall of J.D. Salinger

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Is J.D. Salinger over-exposure possible? Based on the late author’s reclusive life and limited output you would think not, but this fall might convince you otherwise.
On September 6 Shane Salerno’s much anticipated and highly secretive bio-pic, “Salinger,” will hit theaters. It will be accompanied by a book, also by Salerno along with David Shields, and also titled “Salinger,” that will hit shelves September 3.
And to top it off, the Morgan Library and Museum will be exhibiting nine letters written by Salinger to Canadian writer Marjorie Sheard, from between 1941 and 1943. That show opens September 10.
Will this onslaught of Salengeriana answer any questions about why the author stopped writing and made such a complete retreat from public life? And if it does, will that ruin the mystique of the man beloved for books like “Franny and Zooey” and “The Catcher in the Rye”? Is it possible to have it both ways? Well, in a couple of weeks we’ll know.
Watch the trailer for ‘Salinger’:
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
