# JD Salinger's unseen writings to be published: ‘all of what he wrote’ over next decade **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807 "2019-02-01T21:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/1 "2019-02-01T21:56:54Z")
> [@](#): > > JD Salinger’s son has confirmed for the first time that the late author of The Catcher in the Rye wrote a significant amount of work that has never been seen, and that he and his father’s widow are “going as fast as we freaking can” to get it ready for publication. > > Salinger died in 2010, leaving behind a small but perfectly formed body of published work that has not been added to since 1965’s New Yorker story, Hapworth 16, 1924. Rumours have circulated for years that the creator of one of the 20th century’s most enduring characters, Holden Caulfield, continued to write over the ensuing decades he spent in the New Hampshire village of Cornish, far from public view. > **[JD Salinger's unseen writings to be published, family confirms](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/01/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-family-confirms)** > > Exclusive: The Catcher in the Rye author’s son tells the Guardian estate will publish almost ‘all of what he wrote’ over next decade I read Catcher in the Rye when I was a teenager, and remember liking it. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/2 "2019-02-01T22:15:47Z")
Followup discussion with his son: > **[Matt Salinger: ‘My father was writing for 50 years without publishing. That’s...](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/01/matt-salinger-jd-the-catcher-in-the-rye)** > > In JD Salinger’s centenary year, his son and literary executor opens up about life with the Catcher in the Rye author – and for the first time, confirms there are unpublished works to come ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/3 "2019-02-02T00:05:34Z")
I’m not surprised. IIRC, one of the few people who was able to talk to Salinger (maybe 20 years ago) quoted him as saying he was still writing every day. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/4 "2019-02-02T00:11:48Z")
Cool. Are they going to produce that game show he was working on? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/5 "2019-02-02T00:24:14Z")
Has he written any novels or just short stories, essays, and ramblings? Novels would be interesting. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/6 "2019-02-02T03:13:22Z")
The Catcher in the Rye is his famous novel: > **[The Catcher in the Rye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye)** > > The Catcher in the Rye is an American novel by J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst and alienation, and as a critique of superficiality in society. The novel also deals with complex issues of innocence, identity, belonging, loss, connection, sex, and depression. The main character, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion. The Ca... ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/7 "2019-02-02T03:30:02Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > The Catcher in the Rye is his famous novel: > [The Catcher in the Rye - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye) Um…yes, I mean in the decades since he stopped publishing. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/8 "2019-02-02T05:23:46Z")
Now we can find out if he knew things and what he knew! ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/9 "2019-02-02T09:16:08Z")
> [@JB99](#): > > Now we can find out if he knew things and what he knew! Isn’t that the truth!!! It is whispered that his philosophical, even quasi metaphysical musings about the symbolic importance of the introduction of Cool Ranch Doritos to the collective American psyche during the dark days after the Invasion of Grenada has kept his most devoted scholars up debating for days on end. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/10 "2019-02-02T16:28:12Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Um…yes, I mean in the decades since he stopped publishing. > > :dubious: Sure. He just used “Thomas Pynchon” as his pen name. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/11 "2019-02-02T17:42:21Z")
Then he _really_ got reclusive because everyone was trying to pinch on him. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/12 "2019-02-02T20:00:07Z")
Since he stopped publishing, how has he stayed afloat? Is Catcher in the Rye still selling that many copies? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/13 "2019-02-02T20:15:16Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [JD Salinger's unseen writings to be published, family confirms | JD Salinger | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/feb/01/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-family-confirms) > > I read Catcher in the Rye when I was a teenager, and remember liking it. It was and still is a fantastic read. One of my favorite books. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/14 "2019-02-02T20:48:26Z")
Sadly, it turns out it was almost entirely _Terminator_ fanfic. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/15 "2019-02-02T20:54:52Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Since he stopped publishing, how has he stayed afloat? Is Catcher in the Rye still selling that many copies? If it ever sold well enough for him to buy a house, and he bought that house someplace relatively cheap to live, did a fair job managing his budget, etc. I could see someone successfully going into early retirement based on a big seller like that and pulling it off. The key to living off book sales is to not live off your book sales, it’s to live off the percentage small enough that your investments continue to grow/diminisht at an appropriate rate for your expected lifespan + fudge room ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/16 "2019-02-02T21:24:37Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Since he stopped publishing, how has he stayed afloat? Is Catcher in the Rye still selling that many copies? Yes, I think that for many years, it was super common in high schools and the sales money from that book probably provided enough salary to not need anything else. I would guess Harper Lee also made enough to live well enough just off her one book. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jd-salingers-unseen-writings-to-be-published-all-of-what-he-wrote-over-next-decade/828807/17 "2019-02-02T21:40:27Z")
_Catcher_ is still in print and selling enough to provide enough income to live on. In addition most of his other works are also available and are often taught at the college level. His stories continue to be anthologized. I once read an account about a woman hired by his publisher as a secretary who had to deal with “the Jerry problem” – keeping people from finding ways of contacting Salinger.