Valentine's Day is coming. We're inundated by it--it haunts the signs, radio, and TV. Other than the cold and snow outside, it could almost be any other time of the year. But, here we sit recollecting all those gently delicious moments in literature. Are you dreaming of that one sweet kiss?

Victor Hugo once wrote: "How did it happen that their lips came together? How does it happen that birds sing, that snow melts, that the rose unfolds, that the dawn whitens behind the stark shapes of trees on the quivering summit of the hill? A kiss, and all was said." Percy Bysshe Shelly wrote, "What are all these kissings worth, / If thou kiss not me?" And, in The Kiss, Kate Chopin's Harvey quietly tells the girl, "I've stopped kissing women; it's dangerous."

Yes, books must be dangerous too. We are haunted by the most beautiful passages--so many experiences, seen through the lives of those indelibly and artfully drawn lovers. So, let the lines draw you forward. Dream a little dream, and imagine all those moments in literary history. Which one is your favorite? Do you remember a particular kiss?

In Cyrano de Bergerac Edmond Rostand wrote: "And what is a kiss, specifically? A pledge properly sealed, a promise seasoned to taste, a vow stamped with the immediacy of a lip, a rosy circle drawn around the verb 'to love.' A kiss is a message too intimate for the ear, infinity captured in the bee's brief visit to a flower, secular communication with an aftertaste of heaven, the pulse rising from the heart to utter its name on a lover's lip: 'Forever.'"

A library is the grand place where books live. For those that love reading and collecting literature, a library can be a magical place of the imagination. It's a great place to find volumes on almost every imaginable topic. Library patrons may have a variety of reasons for visiting the library. Why do you visit the library?

John Alfred Landford once said, "No possession can surpass, or even equal a good library, to the lover of books. Here are treasured up for his daily use and delectation, riches which increase by being consumed, and pleasures that never cloy." Take a look at quotes , books, and more about libraries. Celebrate Library Lovers' Month.

When's the last time you visited your local library? Do you support it? Also, take a look at my recent post: Recession-Proof Libraries.

The Big News in the literary news over the last new days has been around the death of J.D. Salinger. He was such a reclusive (and controversial) writer during his lifetime that his death only served to catapult him into an even more mythic (albeit perhaps more of an anti-hero) status.

Even before news of his death was quite cold on the presses, we were already talking about what other works of literature he might have left behind. The Catcher in the Rye was NOT enough. He always said he wrote for himself. And, he continued to write. But, with the maniacal fanaticism that haunted him after his early success, he hasn't published since the 1960's. Yep, it's nice to be known, but writers like Doris Lessing and other have long lamented the high price of fame. Too high...

So, what do you think about Salinger's death? Did you read his famous novel? How do you think Salinger's life and legacy in words will be remembered and documented in the coming days? Have you read the news of a new documentary? How do you hope they will remember J.D. Salinger--in the years to come?

Harold Ober Associates announced the passing of J.D. Salinger, one of the greatest American authors of the 20th century. He was 91, and according to reports, Salinger died of "natural causes."

He published The Catcher in the Rye in 1952 (he never published another novel in his lifetime). A short story collection, Nine Stories, followed the next year, 1953. He then published Franny and Zooey (1961), and a collection of two novellas, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction (1963). His novella, "Hapworth 16, 1924," appeared in The New Yorker on June 19, 1965 (his last published work). He was famously reclusive, avoiding all interviews and interactions with fans.

Salinger famously said: "I love to write and I assure you I write regularly... But I write for myself, for my own pleasure. And I want to be left alone to do it." I mourn the loss of J.D. Salinger, but I also have to wonder if his "lost" works will now surface. Of course, we may never see the works (he may have requested that his works be destroyed, or he may have destroyed them himself); but I'd prefer to think that a whole new dimension in Salinger literature may still surface.

So, what do you think of Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye?