The Catcher in the Rye. Since it's publication in 1951, it has become an iconic work of American literature. In its gritty idiomatic style, it has captured the imagination of generations of disaffected young boys. But is there something more to the novel than young teenage angst? Today on the program we explore the appearance of this book in the assassination of John Lennon and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. We also explore the real roots of Holden Caufield's angst in childhood sexual abuse.