1. Catcher in the Rye Background information about the book, its author, and its setting

2. Jerome David Salinger Jerome David Salinger Born in New York in 1919 Not much known about his early childhood Brief periods attending college at NYU and Columbia…but much like Bradbury, Fitzgerald, and Steinbeck, Salinger wanted to devote his time to writing Writing career interrupted by WWII, not a lot known about this career, saw a lot of death Returned from service in the U.S. Army in 1946 and resumed writing (may have suffered a mental breakdown)

3. Talented Author In total, Salinger published 35 short stories in various publications and 4 novels – Overall, that isn’t much for such a “well known” author… Published in 1951, Catcher in the Rye was his first novel He received major critical and popular recognition – Was a huge success right away, but then he pretty much vanished

4. Today Since 1953, Salinger has resided in New Hampshire, and he claimed that he was still writing Salinger refused to deal with the press or give interviews…he lived a life of total seclusion Daughter wrote a book about life with her father, even though she knew he wouldn’t approve Died at age 91 in 2010

5. Isolation Personal info about Salinger is limited but in GREAT demand… Letters written by Salinger to a young woman (with whom he had an affair) gained $156,000 at an auction – This young woman was 18 at the time (1972) – Salinger was 53! – the person who purchased them returned them to Salinger Salinger’s demand for privacy stemmed from his awareness that his activities, such as several relationships with young women, might mar his career

6. New York, New York And now for something completely different… To gain a better understanding of where Holden goes, it’s nice to have a visual image…and for those of us who have never been to New York (myself included), I have provided some of these dazzling images here

7. New York, New York New York, New York Here are a list of some of the places that Holden visits and/or references: The Natural History Museum, Central Park, Radio City Music Hall, Greenwich Village, Grand Central Station

8. The Natural History Museum of New York For 125 years, the American Museum of Natural History has been one of the world's preeminent science and research institutions, renowned for its collections and exhibitions that illuminate millions of years of the earth's evolution, from the birth of the planet through the present day.

9. Central Park Central Park

10. Radio City Music Hall

11. Grand Central Station Grand Central preserves a little of the history and grandeur of old New York in the middle of modern Manhattan. Built in 1871 by Vanderbuilt

12. Watch this A trailer on a movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IPsCA6ttbc &safe=active

13. Catcher in the Rye Considered a Masterpiece of American Literature Deals with one character’s, Holden Caulfield, flashback of a period of 3 days Considered the FIRST Young Adult piece of literature – YAL: fiction created especially for teens that deals with the possibilities and problems of contemporary life as experienced by this age group. These contemporary problem novels reflect the troubled times in which young readers are coming of age. On the nation’s Banned Books List!

14. Censorship The book is considered “dangerous” Why, you might ask… –V–V–V–Vulgarity, –V–V–V–Violence, –P–P–P–Power Overthrows, –S–S–S–Sexual Content, –A–A–A–Alienation, –A–A–A–Alcohol, –S–S–S–School Drop Outs, –P–P–P–Poor Attitude Who’s excited to read it?

15. “Popularity” Was a best seller One of the most widely read books in America – Also one of the most banned… The Catcher in the Rye has been linked to some of the most notorious murderers! John Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman, sat in his room in Hawaii before the murder and chanted over and over and over : “The phony must die says the catcher in the rye. The phony must die says the catcher in the rye. John Lennon must die says the catcher in the rye.”

16. Popularity John Hinckley, attempted assassin of Ronald Regan, had a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in his hotel room. He as also stated, “If you want my defense, all you have to do is read The Catcher in the Rye.”