Now back in print - a timeless collection of essays celebrating one of American literature`s most acclaimed and enigmatic icons J. D. Salinger`s provocative writing and unmatched eye for the contours of American youth have earned him a place in literary and cultural history. Few living American writers enjoy more exuberant and widespread acclaim - though in his ninety years Salinger has published only one novel, the extraordinary "The Catcher in the Rye," and several enormously successful short story collections. In 1962 - before the shy and elusive author made his mysterious withdrawal from public life - editor Henry Anatole Grunwald asked twenty-six of Salinger`s peers to explore the perplexing questions surrounding the writer and his work. What manner of man was he? Was he primarily a social commentator, a satirist, a religious fanatic, or simply a genius? This new edition of the classic work, revived in the ninth decade of Salinger`s life, stands as an extraordinary time capsule - an intimate examination and appreciation of a singular American literary artist whose work remains powerful and true to this day.