There has been a bit of buzz around the internet about a few as-of-yet unpublished J.D. Salinger manuscripts. Rumor has it that the reclusive author had at least five to-be books finished before his death and plans for them to be published after his passing, starting in 2015 (or by 2020). With a timely documentary on the horizon and already fanning the speculation, The Weinstein Company has added some more fuel to the Salinger fire.
With Shane Salerno‘s “Salinger” coming out next week, TWC has gone from passing the ball around, having select audiences sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) before screenings of the Salinger doc, to the beginnings of a full-court press, releasing an audio clip of Salinger’s daughter confirming that her father did indeed have written work that he had marked as “ready to go, on my death.”
In the half-minute audio clip, Margaret Salinger (author of “Dream Catcher: A Memoir” about life with her father) talks about going into her father’s office and confirms that there was unpublished J.D. Salinger material before his death that he deemed ready to publish, but she doesn’t specify how many manuscripts or what condition they’re in now. (She also notes her father had material also completed, but in need of an editor.) Even so, this little scrap will be enough to get English majors and anti-phonies across the nation in a tizzy for the next day or so.
With this latest tidbit, it looks like TWC continues to tease their in-depth portrait of one of the most enigmatic literary figures in history. And knowing their marketing folks, this won’t be the only little scrap of intel we’ll get before the release of the film and expansive book. That’s right, Simon & Schuster will be releasing “Salinger“on Sept. 3rd, written by David Shields and “Salinger” (the documentary) director Shane Salerno. The film itself opens three days later on Sept. 6th, giving fans of “Catcher In The Rye” a lot to digest. Check out the Margaret Salinger audio clip below, which is likely making the literary blogger rounds as you read…