Even after his death, everyone still wants a piece of J.D. Salinger. As the New York Times reports Ursinus College has attempted many times to lure its most famous alum back to the college. A literary festival, an honorary degree. And all to no avail. While Salinger was still alive, the college made one last attempt: a J.D. Salinger creative writing scholarship.
Not a shock to anyone who knows Salinger’s reclusive ways, the author’s literary representatives wrote to Ursinus, instructing them to remove their client’s name. Again, the university was out of luck. Then they came up with the name the Ursinus College Creative Writing Award, but it’s unofficially called “Not the J.D. Salinger Scholarship.”
The award recipient (an incoming freshman) sleeps in 300 Curtis Hall, Salinger’s old dorm room, her/his freshman year. The room is pretty small, but a great honor.
Find out if the award winners enjoy the room, what they do in the room and if they are Salinger fans in J.D. Salinger Slept Here (But Don’t Tell Anyone).
For more reading on J.D. Salinger, please read Holden Caulfield in Winter Manhattan.
