"I don't know that I'd like to have that Jewish-Irish business slapped on the jacket. Surely it's as bad to advertise worthy information as it is to withhold it if it's catchy, that is."
"Second-rate reviewers would probably find the information just provocative enough to use and misuse over and over again and I'd end up being expected to wear a Star of David and a Shamrock on the back of my sweatshirt."
Letters from JD Salinger to his editor provide insights into his reluctance to disclose his Jewish and Irish Catholic heritage. Salinger requested the removal of this information from the first edition of The Catcher in the Rye's dust jacket, expressing concern that it would lead to misinterpretation and stereotyping. He believed that advertising such details could provoke second-rate reviews and unwanted attention. The letters, now acquired by a rare bookseller, highlight Salinger's careful management of his public persona.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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