Mr. GOPNIK: He says somewhere that the real end of a writer is not to write a masterpiece, its not to perfectly portray his time, its to write with all his of stars out. To write the one thing that that writer can do that expresses everything that that writer believes.
There are lots of good writers. There are lots of hugely skilled writers. Theres lots of us who write about many subjects with curiosity and diligence. But there are very few writers in century who find or forge the key that enables them to unlock the hearts of their readers and of their fellow people. And Salinger did that. He did it repeatedly. And whether he was silent for 40 years or miserably grumpy for half a century, I dont care. He did that. And he alone did that. He wrote with all his stars out and the world shines brighter for him.
