I'll tell you why I admire J.D. Salinger.
He wrote well, and when he was done, he stopped.
He didn't seek fame. In fact, he avoided it.
Today when I heard he died, I wondered how many celebrities would actually question their lives. Here's a man who made his life about his work, and did everything he could to get out of his own way.
Now, as a celebrity, you sell yourself and your work is an accessory.
As a writer, he made his work count.
Determining how far Holden Caulfield's reach is in today's culture is almost impossible. Salinger created a character that didn't just define his generation, but changed what it meant to be young as it was defining it.
I hope celebrities look at Salinger as someone who died as he lived, on his own terms--making sure his art was front and center.
“An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's.”
He wrote well, and when he was done, he stopped.
He didn't seek fame. In fact, he avoided it.
Today when I heard he died, I wondered how many celebrities would actually question their lives. Here's a man who made his life about his work, and did everything he could to get out of his own way.
Now, as a celebrity, you sell yourself and your work is an accessory.
As a writer, he made his work count.
Determining how far Holden Caulfield's reach is in today's culture is almost impossible. Salinger created a character that didn't just define his generation, but changed what it meant to be young as it was defining it.
I hope celebrities look at Salinger as someone who died as he lived, on his own terms--making sure his art was front and center.
“An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's.”
Comments
Post a Comment