RIP J.D. Salinger
I know he never wrote a country song or played steel guitar, but he influenced generations of writers of all kinds. And to my mind, J is a sterling role model in his determination to create and share his work while viewing celebrity as a consequence of, not a compensation for, artistic achievement.
Philip Roth: “The response of college students to the work of J. D. Salinger indicates that he, more than anyone else, has not turned his back on the times but, instead, has managed to put his finger on whatever struggle of significance is going on today between self and culture.”
More here.