Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Salinger Called a "Goddam Whiner"

Known for calling a spade a spade, the Estonian Society of Literature has published an open letter in the New York Times, calling on the many who are eulogizing the writer J.D. Salinger to "stop kissing his butt so much by mentioning all his goddam whining." The letter acknowledges that "...it is true he wrote one of America's three perfect books [Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby the other two], but this whole hermit act and bitching about being famous is tiresome." The ESL notes that "eulogy is one thing, hagiography completely another."
In the open letter, ESL cites multiple incidents reported by the New Yorker's coverage where the magazine chronicles Salinger's annoyance with every other writer on the planet, including Truman Capote, Kenneth Tynan, John Grisham, and Tony Robbins. "Could we all just stop and take a breath," reads the ESL's open letter, "and consider the implications of the fact that the man did not like Audrey Hepburn?" The ESL calls for "a complete and immediate end" to the airtime devoted to the "bitchy, pissy, whiney, and negative side of Salinger."
Salinger, above, ice pick in hand, destroys a neighbor child's soccer ball when it landed in his yard.

No comments:

Post a Comment