How Jewish was J.D. Salinger?
Judaism did not factor in the author's 'Catcher in the Rye,' but that doesn't mean his work was devoid of spirituality
J.D. Salinger
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Culture J.D. Salinger’s Books Will Finally Make The Leap To Digital
Like many a student of the American school system, I remember my English-class issued copy of J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” — a threadbare, dog-eared volume with names stretching back decades written on the inside cover. While that novel has fallen somewhat out of favor among the Gen Z cohort, the book is…
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Culture J.D. Salinger’s Son Is Readying His Father’s Secret Work For Publication — But It Could Take A While
Beginning in the mid-1960s, Matt Salinger’s father — yes, J.D. Salinger, the celebrated author of “Franny and Zooey” and “The Catcher in the Rye” — largely retired from public life and grew estranged from the literary word. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, that the author chose his next of kin over editors,…
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Culture On J.D. Salinger’s 100th Birthday, His Not-So-Secret Jewish History
Celebrations of the American Jewish author J.D. Salinger’s 100th birthday on January 1 continue apace. A J. D. Salinger Boxed Set Centennial Edition has appeared and forthcoming are a new study by Sarah Graham and a paperback reissue of Thomas Beller’s anecdotal biography. The writer, who died in New Hampshire in 2010, will also be…
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Culture Salinger’s Heirs, Biographers Tussle Over Unpublished Writings That May Not Exist
J.D. Salinger retired in 1965 and died in 2010. What happened in between has become the subject of a restrained controversy, chronicled today by Matthew Haag in The New York Times. Although no new Salinger works have appeared since 1965, and no one close to the writer has said that any will, his admirers still…
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Opinion J.D. Salinger’s Holocaust Story Eerily Echoes Anne Frank
The great J.D. Salinger is not a writer we associate with the Holocaust, but as we approach 70th anniversary of “The Diary of Anne Frank,” June 25, there’s a neglected Salinger short story, “A Girl I Knew,” worth recalling as a companion piece to Frank’s memoir. “A Girl I Knew” first appeared in the February…
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Culture At His Library in Newark, Philip Roth Names 15 of His Favorite Books
Philip Roth is one of Newark, New Jersey’s most famous sons. The novelist was born there, and has frequently used the city as a setting for his books. Now, he’s paying homage to Newark by pledging to donate his personal library to the Newark Public Library upon his death. In a press release, Roth explained…
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The Schmooze Nicholas Hoult to Play J.D. Salinger in Upcoming Biopic
The phonies in Hollywood are making a movie about J.D. Salinger. Who’s playing him? Nicholas Hoult. What’s it called? “Rebel in the Rye.” Who’s directing? “Empire“‘s Danny Strong. Who’s writing the script? Also Danny Strong — based on a 2011 Salinger biography by Kenneth Slawenski. Why do we care? The celebrated author was born Jerome David…
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