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J.D. Salinger Sues Copycat in Manhattan Federal Court
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 2, 2009
Modified Jun 2, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jun 2, 2009
Modified Jun 2, 2009
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Will the 90-year-old J.D. Salinger be forced to leave his New Hampshire home and return to New York City after leaving in 1953? The reclusive and elusive author filed a lawsuit yesterday in Manhattan federal court. The NY Post reports that the move was to "block an anonymous author from cashing in on the iconic coming-of-age novel with a follow-up titled 60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye." The book has a character named Mr. C leaving a nursing home to visit many of the places Holden Caulfield did in the 1951 novel Catcher in the Rye. The book is dedicated to Salinger, where he is called: "the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life." The author, who goes by John David California, calls the hermetic legend a "great inspiration." If Salinger wins, all of California's copies of the book will be destroyed, and "he's also seeking unspecified damages from the alleged copycat author, saying his copyright 'is worth an enormous amount of money.'" This isn't the first time he's sued in a copycat case. Aspiring authors: the world doesn't need a sequel to any great classics (Catcher in the Rye 2: Electric Boogaloo just doesn't sound right).
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60 Years Later: Coming Through the Rye
catcher in the rye
federal court
jd salinger
John David California
lawsuit
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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