31 - J. D. Salinger & Bananafish

What this episode covers

Salinger is most famous for that often-banned book, The Catcher in the Rye. It catapulted him to fame. However, in this episode, Barry and Aaron discuss his second popular work, a collection of stories not-so-creatively entitled, Nine Short Stories. From a man who playfully pretends to swim with bananafish--have you heard of them?--to a child who tries to comfort a soldier before he heads to battle, Nine Short Stories present us with the fact that reality can be hard and cold. One might wonder if Salinger channels Thomas Hobbes who insisted life is “nasty, brutish, and short.” Barry is captivated by the sparse and nearly-perfect writing of this mysterious, twentieth-century author. Aaron is impressed but raises questions about the theme of hopelessness that seems to saturate each tale. Take a moment and join another fascinating conversation.