Leave JD Alone

Jerome David Salinger (January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) Author

JD Salinger, the legendary novelist, reluctant voice of a generation, and notorious recluse, died yesterday.  As is the norm nowadays, Salinger became a Trending Topic on Twitter.  There are currently 243 Facebook groups and 25 pages devoted to him.  The NYTimes comment section connected to the article on his death has over 200 comments.  Personally, I think the man who penned one of the 20th century’s greatest novels would be disturbed by the 21st century’s reaction to him dying.

Holden Caulfield, the infamous anti-hero of “Catcher In The Rye”, often spoke of the phonies he met.  One memorable quote reads, “What really knocks me out is a book, when you’re all done reading it, you wished the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.”

On this, the day after JD Salinger’s death, perhaps we should lay off the callous tweets of “RIP JD Salinger” and stupid Facebook groups.  Instead, think of the Holden in your head, saying, “Before you type another stupid ‘RIP Salinger – You’ll be missed’ or some other nonsuch, all of you internet phonies and preening critics and angsty bastards can shove it.  You didn’t know him and reading a stupid book in high school doesn’t make you his friend.”

I can only imagine that he would have wanted it that way.