Salinger leaves trove of work in Firestone

After the passing of famed author J.D. Salinger on Thursday, some of his unpublished works, now housed in Firestone Library, may be made available to his fans around the world.

Firestone’s rare books department houses some of his short stories, letters and drafts, though they remain mostly unknown (even on campus) because Salinger forbade their publication before his death. In the past, Salinger enforced his wishes in court by suing to withhold books that drew too heavily on his works.

Many consider Salinger, who lived in seclusion for more than 50 years before his death, among the most important and influential American authors. He published “The Catcher in the Rye” in 1951.

Though Salinger continued to write throughout his life, his last published work, “Hapworth 16,” was released in 1965. He authorized a reprint of the novella in 1998, but changed his mind before the book hit the press.