The world lost one of its greatest English-language writers today. J.D. Salinger, an author who was as famous for his reclusive nature as for his unique approach to literature, died today at the age of 91. Salinger passed away of natural causes in his New Hampshire home where he spent the majority of the last several decades. Though his contributions to book shelves all around the world were few, his mark is nonetheless indelible.

The author was born Jerome David Salinger in 1919 in Manhattan, New York. The son of a cheese merchant, Salinger showed an early flare for the written word as well as theatrical drama while in high school. After completing his course work at The Valley Forge Military Academy he attended a semester of study at New York University, only to drop out and move to Vienna, Austria where he learned the importing business from a family friend. Salinger, a Jew, barely escape the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938.

Salinger's first published story was "The Young Folks", which appeared in Story Magazine in 1940 thanks to his work with Columbia University professor and Story editor Whit Burnett. He struggled to find future publication with exclusive outlets like The New Yorker and was eventually drafted to fight in the Second World War. It was during his tour of duty that Salinger met with famed autor Ernest Hemingway, forging a long partnership and correspondance.

By the end of the 1940's, Salinger had worked his way into a publishing contract with his frequent refusers at The New Yorker and introduced the world to the Glass family in his short story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish". He would frequently return to the Glasses, most notably in his excellent, dialogue-driven novel Franny and Zooey. Always with theatrical aspirations, Salinger was eager to sell his stories for film adaptation, but the only movie to ever come directly from his work was My Foolish Heart, an extremely divergent take on "Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut". After the all-around failure of the film, Salinger forbid any of his stories to be screen adapted again.

It was in 1951 that J.D. Salinger published his most famous novel, A Catcher in the Rye. It featured Holden Caulfield, a popular character of his who first appeared in the short "Slight Rebellion Off Madison". The controversial, meandering story of one night in the life of disaffected teen Caulfield would prove to be one of the most influential novels of the 20th century. Stripes of A Catcher in the Rye can be plainly seen in films such as The Graduate and especially in the work of director Wes Anderson.

From the 1960's until his death, J.D. Salinger published very little and went through a series of personal and legal battles, many of which never got resolved. He spent much of his time at his home in Cornish, though his reputation as a shut-in was quite exaggerated. Salinger maintained a social life and a writing regimen, though the last story he would publish was "Hapworth 16, 1924", which only appeared once in The New Yorker in 1965.

Though his legacy may be more brief than it could have been and his life was full of controversy, J.D. Salinger contributed a singular voice to modern storytelling. Echoes of his keen understanding of the way people talk and feel will continue to ring throughout film and literature.