J.D. Salinger - latimes.com

J.D. Salinger, reclusive author of 'The Catcher in the Rye,' dies at 91

Salinger, whose 1951 novel created a lasting symbol of teenage discontent, died Wednesday at his remote New Hampshire home. He refused interviews for years and published his last story in 1965.

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American novelist and short-story writer J.D. Salinger. He died of natural causes Jan. 27 at his home in Cornish, N.H., his son Matthew said in a statement released by the author's literary representative. (Evening Standard / Getty Images / July 16, 1951)

By Elaine Woo

After "The Catcher in the Rye" exploded on the literary world in 1951, author J.D. Salinger had what every writer yearns for -- money, fame and critical acclaim. "Catcher" became a touchstone for the teenage culture just emerging in post-World War II America, and has remained one for every generation of youths since.

But instead of basking in celebrity, Salinger walked away and slammed the door.After one brilliant novel, a novella and a couple of dozen short stories, he turned his back on the cult hunger for his writing and after 1965 refused to publish further. He guarded his privacy so fiercely that he sued to keep his words out of print.