J.D. Salinger, 1919 – 2010

"What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though." — J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye)

We were very sad to learn that J.D. Salinger, the legendary and reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye, passed away yesterday at the age of 91. His protagonist Holden Caulfield is the ultimate icon of teenage rebellion and the story changed my life when I first read it in high school all those years ago. Catcher in the Rye was his only published novel, but he did release some of short stories; Franny and Zooey and Nine Stories are both worthwhile reading.

You can read more on Salinger's life here at NPR.org.