Howard Zinn: 24.August.1922 – 27.January.2010

Mr. Zinn, your book sits on my shelf among many other books, and like many of those other books, I haven't read it.

That's not entirely true.  I did start it.  I distinctly remember getting to the fourth chapter.  I may have even read further.

Of course, you wrote many books, but I think it's obvious which book I'm referring to here.  The one that consistently sells 100,000 copies each year: A People's History of the United States.

I can't begin to imagine what it's like to be in combat, to take lives, the pain and regret.  And then to discover that your orders were given from commanders with motives ulterior to protection, that they had political agendas.  And to discover that the media had understated the number of civilian casualties.

If the rest of your life, the anti-war efforts and civil rights activism, was intended to assuage the pain you felt for your unintentional, ill-informed actions, I hope you succeeded.

Rest in peace knowing that your actions and words have been an inspiration to many.

J. D. Salinger: 1.Jan.1919 - 27.January.2010

So long, Bananafish.

I'm among the seemingly few who were not forced to read The Catcher in the Rye in high school, so I didn't instinctively hate it.  I was forced to read, and subsequently hate, Moby Dick and Jane Eyre.  While I'm not suggesting that high school teachers avoid the classics simply so that their students won't hate them, I count myself lucky for not being force fed this brilliant work by my favorite author.

When I did voluntarily read The Catcher in the Rye, I loved it.  Perhaps it's because I had just finished reading Great Expectation.  Mind you, I also enjoyed this Dickens classic...at the time.  It took me months to finish the paperback copy that I bought at a thrift store and duct-taped together.  (I've since become a faster reader.)  When I did finally finish it, I went to the bookstore looking for another classic.  I felt I should read the books that I'd heard high school students were forced to read.  I was blown away.  The very idea that the narrator didn't even want to tell us the story made me incredibly eager to read it.  I didn't know books could be written this way.

And after that, I read Nine Stories, Franny & Zooey, and Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour.  It was always the voice that intrigued me and kept me reading.

I also went through a phase where I would read books and then watch the movie that the book had inspired.  At that time, I was disappointed that there was no movie starring Holden Caulfield.  I've read the online debates: Holden hated movies, so making a movie about Holden would be fake.  Point taken.  I don't think this argument will stop Hollywood, and it's likely that I'll watch the movie if and when it happens.

Hopefully, if the movie is made, those who would protest will honor Salinger by protesting in silence.  I think the last thing this reclusive author would have wanted is a huge debate about his intentions.

Let's just let the man rest in peace.