This is a difficult death to parse, absence compounding absence. The overriding distinction of J.D. Salinger, both as a writer and as a celebrity, has always been his fundamental non-presence. On the page and in life, Salinger’s most memorable role has been the Man Who Isn’t There. He’s always been Not There for me and I’ve loved him for it, ever since I snuck Nine Stories down from my father’s bookshelf when I was eleven.

Salinger’s work draws its strength from its pointed authorial absence. …more

Donald Justice, “Men At Forty”

Dear sweet god. This is a poem that renders an entire genre of novels unnecessary. What the hell is it that every meditation-on-middle-age is saying, if not this? …more

I happen to agree that Watchmen (the graphic novel, not the movie) deserves its slot in the canon as one of the 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. But Soon I Will Be Invincible uses language alone to take us into similar territory, which turns out to be an inspired choice. Removed from the inherent limitations of graphic representation (dialogue boxes, two-dimensionality) the super-powered characters of Grossman’s debut novel are free to become, paradoxically, even more vivid, but also more compellingly nuanced. It’s very much a balancing act, and brilliantly executed. …more

The Rumpus asked writers to share their thoughts on the work and legacy of John Updike, who died this week at the age of 76. …more