After I go out this door, I may only exist in the minds
of all my acquaintances … I may be an orange peel.
— teddy
—

I’ve been reading the works of J.D. Salinger, which I somehow never got around to in my misspent youth. This is because I recently and ironically read “My Salinger Year” (you must read it! you must!) in which an aspiring writer works for his literary agent, and they eventually become phone pals of sorts.

The author, Joanna Rakoff, confesses that despite being a book junkie, she at that point in her life had never gotten around to reading his works either.

So now I’m making up for lost time, and loving it. I’m mesmerized by his writing, although I can see his style might not appeal to everyone.

In a crazy coincidence, I was reading my brother Rick’s long-ago observations on twitter again tonight in the off chance the joint bursts into flames over the weekend and disappears. And there it is. He’s bugging me in 2010 to read “Catcher in the Rye.”

I was so lucky. The author who wrote that tweet WAS a terrific friend of mine and I could call him up on the phone whenever I felt like it.

Why do I not realize stiff till it’s too late? Something about paradise and parking lots.

I’m reading “Nine Stories”now. Sadly, none of the stories are about West Texas. But it makes me happy. It’s like I’m reading it with Rick.

We should start a Smith Boys Ouija Board Book Club.

Life is funny …

.