Writing and Promoting Salinger

J.D. Salinger's self-imposed 40-year silence has done nothing to diminish the cult of curiosity and aura of mystique that has surrounded the enigmatic writer since the 1951 publication of his classic novel Catcher in the Rye introduced antihero Holden Caulfield to a generation of disaffected teens. Now Chris Kubica and Will Hochman have tapped into the public's ongoing fascination with the reclusive writer, compiling Letters to J.D. Salinger (Univ. of Wisconsin Press), a collection of missives that addresses the author's pervasive influence and his adoring following's yearning for more—more words, more personal information and a greater understanding of the circumstances surrounding Salinger's long and puzzling silence.

Kubica, who maintains the Web site www.jdsalinger.com, has been soliciting notes from fans on his site for years, and Letters to J.D. Salinger incorporates much of that material, along with additional letters from students, teachers and writers. Some of the well-known contributors include George Plimpton, Harlan Ellison, Jim Harrison and Tom Robbins.

The result is a fascinating document that works as a critical examination of Salinger's work and influence while also offering an entertaining and frequently moving look at the obsessive nature of the author's substantial cult. The project is very much an "if-a-tree-falls-in-the-woods" proposition, of course, and that's part of its charm; it's clear that no one's holding their breath awaiting a reply, but the forum provides readers with an opportunity to vent and celebrate.

To promote Letters to J.D. Salinger, Kubica—who has been an obsessive letter writer since childhood—and the University of Wisconsin Press have been staging a series of events and contests encouraging students and longtime fans to write their own letters to Salinger. The BEA kickoff included an in-booth mailbox, and generated a strong response from booksellers. The Barnes & Noble Mayfair in Wauwatosa, Wis., held a May letter-writing contest that included 50 local high schools and the Milwaukee and Waukesha public libraries. Several of the local high schools organized reading groups and letter-writing workshops in connection with the promotion.

"I'm flattered and pleased with the creativity and dedication with which bookstores across the country have been promoting our book," Kubica told PW.

"I've been thoroughly impressed by the creativity and energy of booksellers in promoting Letters to J.D. Salinger," Mark Fortier, director of publicity for Goldberg McDuffie Communications, which is handling promotion for the book, told PW. "These booksellers went the extra mile."