He said to shine them for the Fat Lady

He's not exactly the reason i've chosen to write. In fact, i came upon his work later than most. I still remember when i first received "Nine Short Stories" and "Franny and Zooey" as a gift from a friend. I thought, how peculiar that he gave me these and not Salinger's more well-known book "The Catcher in the Rye", which i hadn't read either. I thanked my friend, but i don't think i ever properly thanked him. I couldn't know how those books would alter my views on the world.

I haven't fully processed what his passing means to me. I expect the impact will last and grow as time passes. I will, as i do every three months, turn to one of his books for comfort and revelation.

As a frequent writing exercise, i would try to craft a sentence or two that would tell a very vivid story. I saw them as a challenge J.D. made to me personally.

In his honor, i leave you with a few:

- She wrinkled her nose while chomping on french fries which she pretended were her nagging mother's fingers.

- Through the congested grove of trees, i could see two lovers resting on the sandy river banks, playing with eachother's hair. The girl laughed, then sighed, her head falling onto his arm.

- His sunburnt face looked up at me as i passed. Squinting, he smiled from the right side of his mouth. He offered me a slice from his apple. I told him that i wasn't hungry. In fact, i was incredibly hungry.

- She skipped, leading with her right foot, while her left hand dangled from the two longest fingers of her hurrying father.