Subject: dissing the dis
From: Will Hochman (hochman@southernct.edu)
Date: Sat Apr 20 2002 - 10:45:32 EDT
Valerie, my dissertation ("Strategies of Critical Response to the
Fiction of J.D. Salinger," NYU, l994) is available on micorfilm from
University Microfilms International (800 521 0600) but I don't
recommend you using time and $ to read it...Tim, our online God is
working on putting it on the web though I suspect the disks I gave me
may be giving him electronic headaches...thanks Valerie for your
interest but for now, I'd simply suggest that most of what I learned
in my diss I discuss here...or at least I try...in all honesty, I
don't think my "section man" doings are fun to read though I'm too
slowly working on a book that will hopefully update some of my diss
ideas and express them in more readable ways, will
>I agree with Jim. I really like your answers, especially about how
>Salingers's fiction is affective. Will, is there a way to read your
>dissertation about Salinger?
>Sincerely,
>Valérie
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jim Rovira" <jrovira@drew.edu>
>To: <bananafish@roughdraft.org>
>Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2002 3:21 PM
>Subject: Re: Fwd: A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
>
>
>> Pretty good, will, and kudos to you... :). I liked your answers very
>> much.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>> Will Hochman wrote:
>> >
>> > Although Chris Kubica is all about publicity for Letters to JD, the
>> > reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education insisted on
>> > interviewing me so here is the one contribution I'll make to the
>> > book's hype. Thanks for the Salon link Midge, will
>> >
>> > > Date: Mon, 15 Apr 2002 08:00:31 -0400 (EDT)
>> > > From: scott.mclemee@chronicle.com
>> > > To: hochman@southernct.edu
>> > > Subject: A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > This article from The Chronicle of Higher Education
>> > > (http://chronicle.com) was forwarded to you from:
>> > > scott.mclemee@chronicle.com
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > From the issue dated April 19, 2002
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
>> > >
>> > > By SCOTT McLEMEE
>> > >
>> > > "What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all
>> > > done reading it, you wish 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." So says Holden Caulfield in
>> > > The Catcher in the Rye. Generations of readers have
>> > > experienced just that feeling of immediacy in their encounter
>> > > with J.D. Salinger -- who does not, however, answer many
>> > > calls. Letters to J.D. Salinger (University of Wisconsin
>> > > Press), edited by Chris Kubica and Will Hochman, collects
>> > > dozens of open letters to the reclusive author, submitted by
>> > > scholars, fiction writers, and students. Mr. Hochman, who
>> > > wrote his dissertation on critical responses to Mr. Salinger,
>> > > is an assistant professor of English at Southern Connecticut
>> > > State University. He participates in Bananafish, a discussion
>> > > list about the author found on a Web site devoted to the book
>> > > (http://www.jdsalinger.com).
>> > >
>> > > Q. Do you think Mr. Salinger ever regrets that Holden
>> > > Caulfield made that statement about calling the author up
>> > > whenever you feel like it? He's been in seclusion for more
>> > > than three decades now.
>> > >
>> > > A. You can almost see him pulling his hair out. But it's part
>> > > of a very intimate tone in his narration. Breaking though what
>> > > Salinger calls "the membrane" is a rhetorical strategy that he
> > > > uses throughout his work. It could be the best marketing ploy
> > > > of all times: Tell people that cozying up to the author is
>> > > cool, then withdraw and leave them wanting more. I don't think
>> > > that was his idea, really, but it worked out that way.
>> > >
>> > > Q. The '50s, when Mr. Salinger published "The Catcher in the
>> > > Rye," was also the era of the New Criticism. Students were
>> > > taught to appreciate literary works for their language and
> > > > structure -- not for the author's intent or the reader's
>> > > response.
>> > >
>> > > A. Salinger's fiction is very affective -- that's "affective"
>> > > with an "a." Readers typically respond to it emotionally, and
>> > > to my mind that's a great improvement on the New Criticism. In
>> > > his letter in the book, Frederick Busch [a novelist] says,
>> > > "You, sir, taught us to risk emotion; to permit its very
>> > > telling to be part of the story's action; to dare to love our
>> > > characters out loud upon our pages; and to strive for clarity
>> > > while respecting the mystery at the core of our characters,
>> > > our readers, and our selves." That's at the heart of the whole
>> > > collection.
>> > >
>> > > Q. Are plans under way to make sure the author sees this book?
>> > >
>> > > A. I have no interest in breaking through to the
>> > > flesh-and-blood Salinger. Based on the response we got to the
>> > > call for submissions, I know that this is a guy who's had
>> > > readers tugging on his soul for a lifetime. It's hard to
>> > > imagine him picking up this book with any gusto. I'd like to
>> > > think he might look at it with amusement, though. In a way,
>> > > the book isn't really meant for him. We're helping his readers
>> > > communicate with each other.
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > _________________________________________________________________
>> > >
>> > > This article from The Chronicle is available online at this address:
>> > >
>> > > http://chronicle.com/weekly/v48/i32/32a01802.htm
>> > >
>> > > If you would like to have complete access to The Chronicle's Web
>> > > site, a special subscription offer can be found at:
>> > > http://chronicle.com/4free
>> >
>> > > _________________________________________________________________
>> > >
>> > > You may visit The Chronicle as follows:
>> > >
>> > > * via the World-Wide Web, at http://chronicle.com
>> > > * via telnet at chronicle.com
>> > >
>> > > _________________________________________________________________
>> > > Copyright 2002 by The Chronicle of Higher Education
>> >
>> > --
>> > Will Hochman
>> >
>> > Associate Professor of English
>> > Southern Connecticut State University
>> > 501 Crescent St, New Haven, CT 06515
>> > 203 392 5024
>> >
>> > http://www.southernct.edu/~hochman/willz.html
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-- Will HochmanAssociate Professor of English Southern Connecticut State University 501 Crescent St, New Haven, CT 06515 203 392 5024
http://www.southernct.edu/~hochman/willz.html
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