Holden Caulfield

In the movie Rebel in the Rye, a young J.D. Salinger is obsessed with getting his stories published. He is inspired by professor Whit Burnett and Zen Buddhist Swami Nikhilananda to decide if he is a real writer who cares more about writing than publishing. If so, rejection slips should mean nothing to him. When Oona O’Neill dumps him in favor of Charlie Chaplin and the horrors of serving in World War II envelop him, Salinger takes those experiences and breathes life into his character Holden Caulfield. Unfortunately rheumatic fever medication kept me out of war and Mollie Hendrick thought I was enough of a clown not to dump me for a Charlie Chaplin. So my Holden Caulfield was stunted and never grew to populate a Catcher in the Rye. But I did end up in a happier life than the one Salinger appeared to live in the movie. I wonder if we would have traded our two lives. Perhaps I will find out if someone makes a sequel to Rebel in the Rye. We could call it Bozo in the Blog.