Documentary on J.D. Salinger to Hit the Small Screen

The spotlight is set to shine once more on the famously private author of the perennial favorite The Catcher in the Rye. A documentary on the late J.D. Salinger is set to air on television in January 2014. Directed by Shane Salerno, the film is sure to explore the many facets of the enigmatic Salinger.

Simply title Salinger, the documentary will air on PBS as part of its American Masters series, which presents in-depth and engaging biographies on those who've had an indelible impact on U.S. culture. Thirteen/WNET, which is the primary station of and program provider to PBS in the New York metropolitan area, acquired the exclusive U.S. television rights to the documentary.

"Shane's film is an extraordinary piece of work," Susan Lacy, the creator and executive producer of American Masters, said in an interview with Deadline.com. "It is my intellectual and emotional thrill to bring the inimitable J.D. Salinger into the American Masters library."

Preceding the television debut of Salinger on PBS will be the release of a companion book, The Private War of J.D. Salinger, to be published by Simon & Schuster. The book was written by Shane Salerno and David Shields. According to Mediabistro, "Salerno has been interviewing colleagues and intimates of Salinger since 2004. Since then, he and co-author David Shields have been shaping the interviews into an oral biography, which will be accompanied by never-before-seen photos of Salinger."

For fans of J.D. Salinger, this is all very exciting news! To read more about the documentary and the companion book, go HERE and HERE.

* Above image from http://www.paulsahre.com/work11/j_d_salingers_love_and_squalor