J.D Salinger passed away today at the ripe old age of 91. I was at work when my girlfriend told me. I was calling her about how our rents late, and she had much more interesting news. JD passing away gave me shivers. Not that he died, no, not that. It is the idea, that JD, a great influence of mine, was gone. No, not that either, it was that while the world went missing, JD kept on writing, and realized it was for his own satisfaction. He loved to write. Now, let’s be honest, I love to write too, its an obsession. The fact that he wrote one of the most beloved books of all time,one that can identify with you at any age, one that caused Mark David Chapman to take out John Lennon, one that I read in High School and College. before and after. I guess it’s the fact that he wrote this book as well as Franny and Zooey, and then simply disappeared out of the lime light into a world that he kept locked away in private. This is what makes J.D a hero of mine.

I wish I would make such a great dent in the lives of so many people, make enough money, and then write only for myself, while still able to afford groceries.

I was convinced that J.D was Thomas Pynchon. I guess I was wrong. All I can say is rest in peace J.D, hopefully we can read at least one of the books you have written, tucked away in a safe in a once warm home in New Hampshire.

I have two heroes Leonard Cohen, and J.D Salinger. I know I will never meet J.D, but hopefully one day I will meet Leonard and we can talk about Salinger and why Leonard wrote Suzanne.