Will Mr Salinger come hame?
YOU do not need me to remind you that the 25th of this month marks the 250th anniversary of Rabbie the Bard’s birth. By spooky coincidence, the first of this month marked the 90th birthday of J D Salinger, pictured below, author of The Catcher In The Rye. Mr Salinger is famously reclusive, sitting at home in Cornish, New Hampshire, watching old movies and – who knows? – browsing through the Bard’s works. One wonders if any scholar or gent has explored the connections between Mr Salinger and Scotland, of which I would suggest there are many. Indeed, one could make a very strong claim that Mr S is One of Us. Details are sketchy but as far one can ascertain his mother, who was called Marie Jillich before her marriage, was Scottish and, apparently, a Catholic. Fans of Mr S and his evergreen novel may recall his line: “Catholics are always trying to find out if you’re Catholic.” Where his mother came from and who her folks were do not figure in any of the books on Mr S. It has been suggeste
