The writers we admire most are propelled by a mixture of innocence and chutzpah — the nerve to write big coupled with a childlike need to cultivate the virtues they have always believed in. They may surprise themselves by the insistence of their own higher motives and values. They may also believe that as readers, we will surprise ourselves for the same reasons.
— Roger Rosenblatt from “How to Write Great” in The New York Times Book Review
Rosenblatt’s description seems to describe J.D. Salinger perfectly.
Yes! It feels right and true on many levels.