This week on the Story Works Round Table, Alida, Carlee, and Robert asks if The Catcher in the Rye is worthy of its status as a timeless classic? Dust off your copy–I know you had to read it in your high school English class–and join the conversation. What made the book special when it came out? Should it be considered YA or adult? And we dig deep to address the question of timeless literature. Can the times get too far ahead of a story for it to remain a classic? What do you think? Does Salinger’s Holden Caulfield continue to deserve our attention today?
VIDEO
AUDIO
SHOW NOTES
Is the Catcher in the Rye a true classic? Does it deserve it’s throne and its constant use in educational curriculum? What makes it hold value? And does it fit in a young adult style genre?
What we talked about:
Is Catcher in the Rye a Classic? (1:45)
The perspective matters! (7:20)
What does it take to endure as a Classic? (9:05)
Same frame as Gatsby? (14:00)
Using the voice to drive the story. (14:45)
Who would we recommend it to now? Should it be studied in school? (17:39)
Does the age of the character necessitate the genre? (21:37)
Does the publication date matter? (23:42)
The emotional resonance of loneliness. (25:08)
So did we figure it out? (27:58)
Books that have followed in its footsteps. (30:50)
LINKS
Get Alida’s Writing Tips here.
Things we mentioned:
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Dead Poets Society
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Wasteland by TS Eliot
Robert Frost
Walt Whitman
Have thoughts, questions, other examples? Join the conversation at the Story Works Writers Facebook group.
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Do you learn something every week?
Do you feel like you have company on your writing journey?
About Your Hosts
Alida Winternheimer is an award-winning author with an MFA in writing from Hamline University. She pursues her fervor for all things story as a writing coach, developmental editor, and teacher. Two of her short stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing Fiction Series. Alida lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her Golden Retriever, Seva the Wonder Dog. She camps, bikes, and kayaks in her free time. Unless it’s winter, in which case she drinks chai by the fire. You can find more at www.alidawinternheimer.com.
Kathryn Arnold writes fantasy and anything else that sparks her creativity from her home in Kingston, Washington. She currently earns her living as an insurance underwriting assistant, where she also creates marketing and web copy. When not writing, she plays (and teaches) piano and keyboard in a band (or two), and is working on starting a ministry team with her husband. You can find Kathryn at www.skyfirewords.com.
Robert Scanlon was born in Australia, but whisked off to England when only a baby. After many years complaining about the weather, he did the sensible thing and moved back to Australia. Despite a career in the music industry, followed by decades teaching public speaking, Robert is an introvert who adores reading. Robert grew up on a diet of sci-fi masters, eventually discovering he had read the library’s entire science fiction section. Now he has to write his own. Robert is the author of Constellation, book one of the Blood Empire space opera series. Find out more at www.RobertScanlon.com