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Some random thoughts
Dedric 2022-12-09 07:50:17
Inspirational life. Salinger himself was fortunate to be born in a wealthy middle-class family with a father who was engaged in business. Salinger is also happy, with a mother who loves herself deeply and always believes in and supports herself. Salinger was not valued by his stubborn and rigid father, who believed that he would not have any great achievements, and his writing was regarded by his father as an extremely unreliable thing. Fortunately, his mother persuaded his father to let him enter Columbia University to study writing as he wished. After entering the university, I was fortunate to meet a teacher. In fact, Salinger's personality is a type that the teacher particularly hates. However, the teacher did not blame him, but gave him a great help in writing. There is a sentence in the film that impressed me deeply and at the same time expressed the essence of the film. The teacher said to Salinger earnestly: "Why do you want to write?" I was angry with many things. When I was writing, I felt I'm doing business, as if I can finally speak freely." The teacher replied: "Look, this is exactly what you need to do in writing, explore what makes you angry, and then write it into the story, but the most important thing is Yes, now you have to ask yourself a question, are you willing to dedicate your life to telling stories, knowing that there is no return, and still going your own way?"
Extended Reading
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Whit Burnett: I got an eye. I can spot talent coming a mile away. Saroyan, Cheever, Caldwell, I discovered them all. Of course, it would be nice if somebody discovered me.
Jerry Salinger: Hey, come on, you've been published.
Whit Burnett: I not only discovered them, I shaped them, I challenged them.
[Pointing at his flat]
Whit Burnett: This is me.
[On the stairs]
Whit Burnett: You should continue to write about Holden, but not as a short story.
Jerry Salinger: Well, hang on, wait, wait, wait, wait. What do you mean?
Whit Burnett: I think Holden Caulfield is a novel.
Jerry Salinger: No, no, I couldn't write a whole novel. I'm a dash man, not a miler.
Whit Burnett: You only say that because you're lazy. Holden Caulfield deserves an entire book all on his own.
Jerry Salinger: A novel's a lot of words.
Whit Burnett: It's just more words. Imagine the book that you would want to read and then go write it.
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Jerry Salinger: Anyway, how's everything at the home front with you? You are good with Martha chewing your ear?
Whit Burnett: Everything at my home is fine...
Jerry Salinger: Yeah?
Whit Burnett: Because what you'll learn about having wife is that occasionally she just needs to yell to feel better.
[Jerry laughing]
Whit Burnett: Oh, and by the way, I'm awfully sorry about the New Yorker.
Jerry Salinger: How'd you know about that?
Whit Burnett: Oh please. They canned the Caulfield story because you wouldn't take any of their notes. You know, you cannot be a pain in the ass until you're a success.