On Episode 304, Alli and her guest right the wrong (???) of somehow missing The Catcher in the Rye in their reading lives. In this juicy, thoughtful episode, they consider the book's place in the American canon and on school reading lists everywhere. They chat about sad boy fiction, Holden Caulfield's complicated character and legacy, love bombing, New York City as a character, teen angst, slut shaming, and more.

TW: death by suicide, sexual assault

Beth Kander is a writer with tangled roots in the Midwest and Deep South. Described as a "genre-defying author and playwright" (Oxford American), her work has been called "riveting" and "habit-forming." I Made It Out of Clay is her latest novel. Follow Beth on Instagram @bethkander.

CHECK OUT BETH'S BOOKS:

I Made It Out of Clay

Do Not Eat This Book!

CHECK OUT BETH'S BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

The Measure by Nikki Erlick

Night Owls by A.R. Vishy

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner

MORE READING:

"Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — review" (The Guardian, 2012)

"The Meaning of The Catcher in the Rye" (Thought Catalog, 2024)

"Story Skeleton — The Catcher in the Rye" (The Darling Axe, 2023)

"From everyteen to annoying: are today's young readers turning on The Catcher in the Rye?" (The Guardian, 2019)

"He's Not Holden!" (Slate, 2013)

"I Hated Catcher in the Rye As A Teen — But It's Exactly The Book I Needed As An Adult" (Bustle, 2018)

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