Salinger and Failure

I found this clip tonight. I hadn’t heard of this documentary before but I hope to watch it. I think about Salinger when I think about failed manuscripts because I know he wrote so many stories and sent them out in his career without much success until Catcher. Salinger.org states that Salinger did not see much success with his stories until the success of Catcher. All of the uncollected stories I have read–thanks to Will Hochman back in the day in Colorado–show me the creation of characters and development of a creative literacy.

I am not fond of cyber-stalking Salinger. I’m not one of those who would drive to his house and pull a Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams kind of maneuver and so I hope that is not where this documentary goes. But there are times, though, when I wish he had a website and posted his thoughts yet I do know what it is like to be closely guarded about the work and the failures. Maybe I am more comfortable at failing on this website as opposed to in private. But I do hope the man is writing and resting and has some peace in New Hampshire. The Abuelito is a veteran of WW II and so is Salinger so I do hope he is finding rest in Cornish.

Salinger.org also lists some rumors on the publishing of Hapworth. I would love to have a nice hardcover version.

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john paul jaramillo

John Paul Jaramillo’s debut story collection The House of Order was named a 2013 Int’l Latino Book Award Finalist, and his most recent work Little Mocos is now available from Twelve Winters Press. In 2013 Latino Boom: An Anthology of U.S. Latino Literature listed Jaramillo as one of its Top 10 New Latino Authors to Watch and Read. He is currently a professor of composition and literature at Lincoln Land College-Springfield, Illinois.

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