"If you feel lonely, as most writers do, write to escape it." — JEROME DAVID SALINGER

From the moment J.D. Salinger published The Catcher in the Rye in 1951, he faced devoted fans, aspiring biographers, and persistent journalists. In this collection of rare and revealing encounters with the mysterious literary giant, Salinger speaks – sometimes willingly, sometimes reluctantly – about how he experienced this pressure, about the autobiographical roots of his work, and about the advice he gives to writers.

Including his last, unexpected interview, as well as a penetrating introduction by New York Times journalist David Streitfeld, these conversations reveal an author who resisted publicity but could not escape its glare.