Friday, January 29, 2010

JD Salinger: Half-pipe Thrasher

From the outside, you might think JD Salinger didn't do much with his life. 91 years on this planet and 4 books in 15 of those years, the last of which was published 45 years ago. Just a few interviews. Sort of like Forrest Gump running. And then, one day, not. I wonder what he's been doing since 1965.

We'll probably never know, but I like to think he's been learning the art of underwater welding, training a bear to dance, and performing some sweet ollies. Wouldn't that be cool?

At last night's Tri Club meeting (Chris Lieto and Craig Alexander; you totally missed it), I spoke with a friend who's recently switched from real estate to nursing. I used to write fiction, but now I am moving into nonfiction. Change is good.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Change is good when you choose it.
Change is bad when it is forced upon you.

Renee Thompson said...

From what both of my former agents told me, non-fiction is a whole lot easier to sell. Good luck in this new endeavor, Michelle!

David Hancock said...

One of Salinger's old mistresses apparently said he never stopped writing, just stopped publishing. NPR reported that there may be a vault somewhere with a lifetime's worth of Salinger's books waiting for posthumous publication.