Author J.D. Salinger dead at 91
CORNISH, N.H., Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Reclusive U.S. author J. D. Salinger has died of natural causes at his home in Cornish, N.H., his literary agency said. He was 91.
"Despite having broken his hip in May, his health had been excellent until a rather sudden decline after the new year. He was not in any pain before or at the time of his death (Wednesday)," Salinger's literary representative, Harold Ober Associates, said in a statement issued to The New York Times.
Published in 1951, his novel "Catcher in the Rye" marked Salinger as a major voice in American fiction.
After that, readers scrambled to read his works as they appeared in The New Yorker magazine, before their publication in book form. His collection, "Nine Stories," in 1953, was followed by "Franny and Zooey" in 1961, and "Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters" and "Seymour an Introduction" in 1962.
Salinger took his solitude seriously. Not only did he eschew newspaper interviews and television talk shows, he lived alone in rural New Hampshire, outside the town of Cornish, with guard dogs.
Jerome David Salinger was born New Year's Day 1919 in New York. He attended Valley Forge Military Academy and began writing at the age of 15. He studied short story writing under Whit Burnett at Columbia University and attended two other colleges without graduating.
The author married Claire Douglas, a Jungian analyst, in 1953 and they had two children -- a daughter, Margaret, a writer, and a son, Matthew, an actor and film producer. The couple divorced in 1967.
Salinger is also survived by Colleen O'Neill, a nurse he married in the 1980s. The Times said little is known about the marriage since O'Neill respected Salinger's desire for seclusion and didn't speak publicly about their relationship.
ABC to air 'The Bachelor' wedding
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- The wedding of Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney, former stars of "The Bachelor," is to be featured on a U.S. television special, ABC said Thursday.
"The Bachelor: Jason and Molly's Wedding" is to air March 8. Mesnick and Malaney will be the first couple from the "Bachelor" dating competition series to walk down the aisle, ABC said.
"The couple, who announced their engagement in October, will let viewers in on all the exciting festivities -- from Molly's dress fitting for her dazzling custom-made gown to Jason and Molly planning the big day with their wedding planner and event designer," the network said in a news release. "Then it's on to their bachelor and bachelorette parties, and the next stage of their romantic journey with a beautiful wedding ceremony in the perfect location."
Past "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" couples and celebrities are expected to attend the event. Their names are to be announced later, ABC said.
West End shows netted $806M in 2009
LONDON, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- West End shows earned more than $806 million in box-office receipts in 2009, the Society of London Theatre said this week.
The BBC reported the figure represented an increase of 7.6 percent in ticket sales over the previous year. Attendance at West End productions was estimated at an all-time high of 14 million, up 5.5 percent from 2008.
"The extraordinary quality and breadth of productions available nightly in London explains these record figures in such a difficult year economically," SOLT president Nica Burns told the British broadcaster.
"Whilst our musicals continue to flourish, 2009 was an outstanding year for plays -- proving that audiences respond to challenge and stimulation as well as toe-tapping entertainment."
Among the non-musical productions that were big hits in 2009 were "Hamlet" and "The Habit of Art."
Report: Samantha Harris quits 'Dancing'
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- "Dancing with the Stars" co-host Samantha Harris will not be returning for the U.S. dance competition show's 10th season, ABC said Thursday.
The latest edition of the series is to premiere March 22.
Tom Bergeron will return as the show's co-host, but Harris' replacement has not been announced yet, ABC representative Conrad Green told UsMagazine.com.
"It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Samantha since she joined the 'DWTS' team in Season 2. She will be much missed, but always part of the 'DWTS' family. We support her and wish her all the best in her future endeavors," Green said.
No reason for Harris' departure was given.
