Subject: Re: Fwd: A One-Sided Conversation With J.D. Salinger
From: Valerie Aron (kate.beown@wanadoo.fr)
Date: Sat Apr 20 2002 - 09:48:02 EDT
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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