Three previously unreleased short stories written by J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye, leaked to the Internet during the Thanksgiving weekend.

'Three Stories' Leaks

The three stories, “The Ocean Full of Bowling Balls,” “Birthday Boy” and “Paula” total 41 pages in length and, together, are called Three Stories. They were reportedly only available for scholars at Princeton University and University of Texas in Austin before they were leaked. Salinger scholar Kenneth Stawenski confirmed that the stories are, indeed, written by Salinger:

“While I do quibble with the ethics (or lack of ethics) in posting the Salinger stories, they look to be true transcripts of the originals and match my own copies,” Stawenski revealed to BuzzFeed.

Princeton University insist they played no part in the leak, saying that someone with access to the stories must have transcribed them by hand or with the use of photocopies made before the university banned Salinger photocopies.

“The story is probably an unauthorized version transcribed longhand in our reading room… It’s also possible that it came from photocopies of the typescript probably made before the mid-1980s when we decided that we would no longer allow photo-duplication for any work by Salinger,” said Princeton spokesman, Martin Mbugua.

The leak may not have originated at Princeton at all, as reports also suggest that the leaked stories come from an unauthorized version of Three Stories sold on eBay earlier this year.

The stories are a part of Salinger’s collection of unpublished work that have surfaced since his death in 2010. In a recent film, Salinger, his unreleased work is explored in more detail and plans have been revealed to release two new sagas from Salinger within the next seven years.

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J.D. Salinger Documentary Director Shane Salerno Reveals 'Catcher In The Rye' Sequel, Author's Fascination With Teenage Girls [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]

Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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