J.D. Salinger passes away at 91

J.D. Salinger, the reclusive writer of the quintessential coming-of-age-but-bitter-about-it novel Catcher In The Rye, passed away Wednesday in his New England home. The writer has been notoriously guarded since the publication of his last work in 1965, refusing interviews at every turn and declining to be in the public eye whenever possible. Salinger’s distaste for attention is echoed in the behavior of his most memorable character, Holden Caulfield from Catcher In The Rye. That work, in which “phony” was introduced to the cultural vernacular and adolescent angst was made indefinitely fashionable, will likely stand as Salinger’s greatest and most lasting contribution to the American literary canon.

All propriety aside, readers may stand to benefit from the late author’s passing in that some works — previously unreleased at the Salinger’s discretion — may be published posthumously. Should publisher’s elect to disrespect what were probably the deceased’s most dearly held wishes to keep his writings from the public, you can probably look for an anthology of new works by the year’s end.