This is only idle speculation of course.
Both
J.D. Salinger and
Thomas Pynchon are talented and reclusive
American authors. Both are cult figures and take a long time to produce masterpieces. While Salinger is reclusive, Pynchon is
very reclusive. Pynchon was last seen in public in 1962, and is rumored to live near NYC. Salinger lives in New Hampshire and has not published anything since 1965. All but one of Pynchon's novels were published after 1965.