RIP

J. D. Salinger 1919 - 2010

“It’s almost unbearable to me to realize that my book will be kept on a shelf out of their reach.”

Update: I have found a discussion on the relevancy of Catcher in the Rye, courtesy of A Reader's Respite.

Why not include Catcher in the Rye in your list for the Banned Book Challenge?

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

Accordian Guy offers a look at the many covers that have been used on Catcher in the Rye, a book that finds itself challenged often. According to the ALA, J. D. Salinger remains one of the top banned authors for 2000 - 2005.

Treasures from J. D. Salinger?

A recent story on J.D. Salinger in the Toronto Star wonders what literary treasures might be released upon the death of author J.D. Salinger. Following the publication and subsequent publicity surrounding Catcher in the Rye, Salinger became a reclusive celebrity.

With a sour face, Salinger told [Toronto resident Clifford] Church he quit publishing because it was an invasion of his privacy and he was sick of writers, psychiatric patients and disillusioned others flocking to him for advice, but that he continued to write.

Salinger's relatives report that there are new stories and even a screenplay. Michael Clarkson [Clifford Church], the writer of the Toronto Star article speculates,

Chances are that Salinger's seductive, often-cynical prose will be heralded by yet another generation of young people and find a place in school curriculum like Catcher, once banned because it has the word goddamn 252 times.

Lowest on Record and That's Not the Drop in Temperature

According to the The American Library Association, 405 challenges had been reported in 2005. It is the lowest total of challenges on record.

The ALA has been keeping track of book challenges since the early 1980s. Banned Book Week was established as a way of raising the issue while celebrating free expression. This year, Sept. 23-30 marks the 25th annual "Banned Book Week."

Judith Krug, director of the ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom, cited possible factors for the decline:

1. Librarians are better prepared to organize community support on behalf of a book
2. Online content could be taking the focus away from print

The ALA defines challenges as "formal, written complaints filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness." For every challenge listed, about four to five go unreported, according to the library association.

Topping the list of the most "challenged" book of 2005 was "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health," by Robie Harris. J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye," Judy Blume's "Forever" and Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War," continue to be among the top ten. They are usually challenged because of "sexual content" and inappropriate language.

I like the remarks of one reporter.

"The Catcher in the Rye"? Can't folks find a new book to ban? It's 55 years old, for goodness sake. Holden Caulfield is on social security.