Sadly passed away at the age of 91, author of the most intelligent and liberating tales such as The Catcher In the Rye leaving vacant memories and untold stories due to his detachment from the scene to live for the next 40 years in his native New Hampshire. Away from the limelight one can only assume the brilliance his writing in that time would offer and whilst the legacy is in question, it's only right to respect his wishes and keep such material secret. One quote keeps emerging as observers fill the blank years, "He was famous for not wanting to be famous" claimed Ian Hamilton in his book In Search of J.D. Salinger. Personally I prefer his own, "I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect" which sums him up perfectly.
His letters to a ex continued interest in his life in spite of the fabulous writings he wilfully wanted to be remembered made all the more fascinating considering his educational circumstances as the Guardian commented he was 'asked to leave a New York prep school because of poor grades’. Crazy business, can you imagine that happening in this day and age? Whilst he re-embarked on an creative writing course that I ironically considered switching to at my own establishment due to my own disillusionment, it was by no means certain he'd be the accomplished renowned writer that his fate allowed him to be especially whilst seeing action in the Second World War. It shows an education is to be taken seriously but life teaches you lessons that schooling cannot midst a truly remarkable rise to prosperity and fame akin to Alexander McQueen whom I've written an article on.
Following his Paris/Milan Fashion Shows entitled ‘King of the Paris Haute Couture’ for the WWIT as well as my return for the Hearing Times. In other news: Apple apps to surge, intently so as the world awaits the growing popularity amongst trend-setters thus those without an orderly thought within their capacity to follow suit as the iPad creation will turn into a successful futuristic venture. In the least for independent, information seeking souls it'll allow access to online information to read wherever they may be whilst looking remotely dis-interested in their surroundings and whilst I clearly find it abhorrent I wouldn’t so much proclaim it’s over-priced if so long as there's a boom in readers.
Deep in the consciousness, I realize should I fail to become a teacher than a journalistic outing may be my only chance of a pay-cheque for doing something I’d happily do for nothing as J.D Salinger showed, follow the sentiments of your own choosing and in his infinite wisdom he escaped the torment of his soul, wickedly so. Additionally, this semester will allow me to follow the great works of William Wordsworth as tonight's Romanticism lecture allowed me to see the idealistic nature of his poetry and hopefully soon the craft and endeavour of Keats and Coleridge who once said:
the unhappy attempt at picture petrifactions by Bernini in whom a great genius was bewildered and lost by excess of fancy over imagination, the aggregative over the unifying faculty (CL, IV, 569).
Interesting, one could claim J.D Salinger to be the bewildered great genius lost by excess and in the most part without avoiding fanciful delirium, he wasn't unhappy with his isolation was he? Good for him to take charge of his own destiny. My own, on the other hand is questionable: I still cannot help but assert the thinking behind my lower than expected grades in the last semester for English Literature to the disempowerment of imagination and over-need for structure, pleasing quotations and popularized referencing leading to a sense of self-annihilation.
Back to Salinger, one hopes upon his entrance to the gates of Heaven that an angel appears with "J.D, take yourself to a quiet corner in heaven amongst those of similar irk who you don't have to speak with if you don't wish to, honourable chap". R.I.P
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