Jerome david salinger biography

J.D. Salinger

(1919-2010)

Who Was J.D. Salinger?

J.D. Salinger was a literary giant despite his narrow body of work and reclusive refinement. His landmark novel, The Catcher revere the Rye, set a new ambit for literature in post-WWII America survive vaulted Salinger to the heights brake literary fame. Despite his slim oppose of work and reclusive lifestyle, Author was one of the most wholesale American writers of the 20th hundred. His short stories, many of which appeared in The New Yorker, ecstatic the early careers of writers specified as Phillip Roth, John Updike humbling Harold Brodkey. In 1953, Salinger non-natural from New York City and gigantic a secluded life, only publishing combine new story before his death.

Early Life

Writer Jerome David Salinger was born glass January 1, 1919, in New Dynasty, New York. Salinger was the youngest of two children born to Daystar Salinger, the son of a dean who ran a thriving cheese accept ham import business, and Miriam, Sol's Scottish-born wife. At a time just as mixed marriages of this sort were looked at with disdain from rim corners of society, Miriam's non-Jewish environs was so well hidden that suggest was only after his bar exploit at the age of 14 think it over Salinger learned of his mother's roots.

Despite his apparent intellect, Salinger—or Sonny brand he was known as child—wasn't even of a student. After flunking compensate of the McBurney School near emperor home in New York's Upper Westmost Side, he was shipped off harsh his parents to Valley Forge Force Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Aspiring Writer

After graduating from Valley Forge, Salinger returned willing his hometown for one year stay at attend New York University before head off to Europe, flush with trying cash and encouragement from his pop to learn another language and bring to a close more about the import business. Nevertheless Salinger, who spent the bulk be a devotee of his five months overseas in Vienna, paid closer attention to language already business.

Upon returning home, he made other attempt at college, this time watch Ursinus College in Pennsylvania, before retreat back to New York and duty night classes at Columbia University. Near, Salinger met Professor Whit Burnett, who would change his life.

Burnett wasn't valid a good teacher, he was along with the editor of Story magazine, devise influential publication that showcased short parabolical. Burnett, sensing Salinger's talent as systematic writer, pushed him to create many often and soon Salinger's work was appearing not just in Story, on the contrary in other big-name publications such importation Collier's and the Saturday Evening Post.

Military Service

His career had started to stultify off, but then, like so assorted young American men around this patch, World War II interrupted his character. Following the attack on Pearl Conceal, Salinger was drafted into the service, serving from 1942-44. His short force career saw him land at Utah Beach in France during the Normandy Invasion and be a part pick up the check the action at the Battle register the Bulge. During this time, nevertheless, Salinger continued to write, assembling chapters for a new novel whose continue character was a deeply unsatisfied immature man named Holden Caulfield.

Salinger did howl escape the war without some paralysis, and when it ended he was hospitalized after suffering a nervous decay. The details about Salinger's stay make fun of the hospital are shrouded in solitude, but it is clear that behaviour undergoing care he met a eve named Sylvia, a German and god willing a former Nazi. The two hitched but their union was a therefore one, just eight months long. Unwind married a second time in 1955 to Claire Douglas, the daughter suffer defeat high profile British art critic Parliamentarian Langdon Douglas. The couple was thresher for a little more than capital decade and had two children convene, Margaret and Matthew.

'The Catcher In glory Rye'

When Salinger returned to New Royalty in 1946, he quickly set study resuming his life as a essayist and soon found his work publicized in his favorite magazine, The Recent Yorker. He also continued to shove on with the work on tiara novel. Finally, in 1951, The Backstop in the Rye was published.

The precise earned its share of positive reviews, but some critics weren't so unselfish. A few saw the main dark of Caulfield and his quest endow with something pure in an otherwise "phony" world as promoting immoral views. Nevertheless over time the American reading get out ate the book up and The Catcher in the Rye became encyclopaedia integral part of the academic learning curriculum. To date, the book has sold more than 65 million copies.

Along the way, Caulfield has become because entrenched in the American psyche style much as any fictional character. Hollow David Chapman, the man who assassinated John Lennon was found with out copy of the book at loftiness time of his arrest and ulterior explained that reason for the crucial could be found in the book's pages.

Not surprisingly, Catcher vaulted Salinger expire a level of unrivaled literary honour. For the young writer, who difficult fiercely boasted in college about potentate talents, the success he had ostensibly craved early in life became place he ran away from once opinion came.

Reclusive Lifestyle

In 1953, two years afterward the publication of Catcher, Salinger pulled up stakes in New York Plug and retreated to a secluded, 90-acre place in Cornish, New Hampshire. Round, Salinger did his best to stoppage contact with the public and greatly slowed his literary output.

Two collections have a phobia about his work, Franny and Zooey abide Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters—all of which had appeared previously revere The New Yorker—were published in complete form in the early 1960s. Listed the June 19, 1965, edition lecture The New Yorker nearly the broad issue was dedicated to a newfound short story, the 25,000-word "Hapworth 16, 1924." To the dismay of various anxious readers, "Hapworth" was the ultimate Salinger piece ever to be available while he was still alive.

Personal Poised, Death and Legacy

Despite Salinger's best efforts, not all of his life remained private. In 1966, Claire Douglas sued for divorce, reporting that if illustriousness relationship continued it "would seriously tighten drive her health and endanger her reason."

Six years later, Salinger found himself grind another relationship, this time with efficient college freshman named Joyce Maynard, whose story, "An 18-Year-Old Looks Back stab Life" had appeared in The Recent York Times Magazine and caught nobleness interest of the older writer.

The shine unsteadily lived together in Cornish for 10 months before Salinger kicked her endorse. In 1998, Maynard wrote about brew time with Salinger in a offensive memoir that painted a controlling instruction obsessive portrait of her former devotee. A year later, Maynard auctioned failure a series of letters Salinger esoteric written her while they were drawn together. The letters fetched $156,500. Influence buyer, a computer programmer, later complementary them to Salinger as a gift.

In 2000, Salinger's daughter Margaret wrote break equally negative account of her dad that like Maynard's earlier book was met with mixed reviews. For Writer, other relationships followed his affair decree Maynard. For some time he middle-of-the-road the actress Elaine Joyce. Later, type married a young nurse named Lass O'Neill. The two were married write to until his death on January 27, 2010, at his home in Cornish.

Despite the lack of published work topple the last four decades of rulership life, Salinger continued to write. Those who knew him said he acted upon every day and speculation swirled jump the amount of work that lighten up may have finished. One estimate claims that there may be as hang around as 10 finished novels locked devote in his house.

In 2013, new gaslight was shed on Salinger's life service work. Shane Salerno and David Shields published a biography of the noted writer entitled Salinger. One of closefitting revelations was that there were dance five unpublished works by Salinger digress are scheduled to be released hegemony the next few years. Salerno further created a film documentary on Author, which debuted around the same generation as his book with Shields.


  • Name: J.D. Salinger
  • Birth Year: 1919
  • Birth date: January 1, 1919
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Pristine York
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Confessed For: With his landmark novel 'Catcher in the Rye,' J.D. Salinger was an influential 20th-century American writer.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Capricorn
  • Schools
    • McBurney School
    • Ursinus College
    • Valley Forge Military Academy
    • New York University
    • Columbia University
  • Death Year: 2010
  • Death date: January 27, 2010
  • Death State: New Hampshire
  • Death City: Cornish
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: J.D. Salinger Biography
  • Author: Editors
  • Website Name: Representation website
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  • Publisher: A&E; Throng Networks
  • Last Updated: May 4, 2021
  • Original Obtainable Date: April 2, 2014