If You Really Want to Hear About It Writers on J. D. Salinger and His Work

Over the past five decades, J.D. Salinger has become one of the most beloved figures in literary history. His books are read by millions every year, and his reclusive nature continues to fan the flames of obsession. This book collects, for the first time, fifty years of great writing about the man who made the word "phony part of our daily lexicon. It includes articles both obscure and notorious, and white it features notable reviews -- Eudora Welty's 1953 review of "Nine Stories and John Updike's review of "Franny and Zooey, to name just two -- the emphasis is on lively and intimate articles, interviews, profiles, and other encounters. The Table of Contents is a Who's Who of twentieth-century literary greats: Mary McCarthy, Alfred Kazin, Joan Didion, Jonathan Yardley, and Janet Malcolm. Also included are entertaining insider accounts by Joyce Maynard, Betty Eppes, Johanna Smith Rakoff, and many others. Sure to provoke widespread media coverage, and perhaps even a comment by the author himself (note to Mr. Salinger: comment, good; lawsuit, not so good), "If You Really Want to Hear About It is a must-read for fans of Cornish, New Hampshire's most famous citizen.Crawford, Catherine is the author of 'If You Really Want to Hear About It Writers on J. D. Salinger and His Work', published 2006 under ISBN 9781560258803 and ISBN 1560258802.