Feature

TRIBUTE TO J.D.SALINGER

Rakib Ur Rashid Sikder

“Writing, real writing, is done not from some seat of fussy moral judgment but with the eye and ear and heart; no American writer will ever have a more alert ear, a more attentive eye, or a more ardent heart than his.”-Adam Gopnik

J.D. Salinger, the creator of Holden Caufield and the author of The Catcher In The Rye, chose to live a hermit's life. Despite the fame that his writing brought him, he shunned publicity very strictly so much so that he gave his last interview back in 1980. He was arguably as much celebrated for his reclusiveness, as he was famous for his unique narrating style.

Salinger might have been a loner in real life; but on paper he was a passionate idealist. The magical world he created with just words portrayed his unparalleled humor, his enduring ear for American speech and his enchanting narrative voice. Vladimir Nabokov, the famous Russian-American novelist, classified Salinger as the “Storyteller, teacher, and enchanter”. Yes he really was an enchanter not your average enchanter but the enchanter of the 'disenchanted'. He enchanted those who had given up on life and in addition he instructed them. And he did both jobs brilliantly.

Salinger was an observer of detail. In his most famous book, The Catcher In The Rye, he captured New York in the forties like no one had ever done before. In addition, his refreshing narration in this novel gave voice to a generation of frustrated teenagers who longed to escape the strictness of the 'proper society'. Some criticized Salinger of being self-enclosed. But in reality, he was an extraordinary listener. He held the unique ability to write pages after pages of moving, genuine dialogue, dialogue that profoundly affected its reader because of its flowing humor.

As a person, Salinger was a bit eccentric. Once he wrote to a pen friend “I think I despise every school and college in the world, but the ones with the best reputation first.” He liked to do things his way and his way of life was what he chose to follow. For this reason, Salinger had at various times been a Zen Buddhist, a Christian Scientist and a Scientologist. He even married thrice- first to a French nurse Sylvia whom he met during the Second World War, then to his romantic friend Charlie Douglass and lastly to another Nurse, Colleen who was 30 years younger than him.

J.D.Salinger has left a lasting distinction for himself with the creation of Holden Caufield and with his single bestselling novel, The Catcher In The Rye. Some would term him as an eccentric, some as a loner but all would agree that he was an original writer, with some original ideas and an original way to express them. You will be missed Salinger.

Erratum

The photograph of the dog printed on page 20 of Star Campus of February 7, 2010 with the article "Veterinary Education in Bangladesh" was taken by Cathrine E. Lowther. The original appeared in the article "A Dog's Life in Dhaka, Bangladesh", One Bark at a Time, http://onebarkatatime.blogspot.com, Thursday, November 19, 2009.
We regret the error in not mentioning the name of the photographer and the website from where it was taken.