I am not alone in being inspired by that book, I could site endless references in television, film and music.  For my college screen adaptation class I chose it to adapt… Which was a stupid idea on my part ( Heck, I was young), no one is going to do it justice, no version will live up to the original. (I got a B,  I recently found it and re-read what I wrote… I’d give it a C).

There was just something about Holden, I related to him when I first read it… And every time I have opened it’s pages since then (this might be the first time since I was 13 that I don’t own a copy!)  I remember thinking about it as I sat in the waiting room at the hospital, checking my self in for a mental evaluation.  I was older than Holden when I unraveled, but again I related to him.

Would I have loved to meet J.D. Salinger… Yes.  Do I think he would have lived up to my expectations… Not a chance.  You are not always who or what you create, some of the greatest, emotionally inspired works can come from people void of the qualities they express… But I don’t believe that devalues the art, because it’s true value is in the response it evokes.

There are rumors that there may be a vault full of unpublished works by J.D. that may be realized posthumously… Could they be as great or greater than Catcher?  Maybe, maybe not… but that too won’t change the impact that it has had on so many, present company included.