Hollywood Tweets RIPs to Salinger and Zinn

Ben Affleck, John Cusack, Olivia Wilde, Elizabeth Banks, Mandy Moore, Ryan Seacrest and more share their sorrow of the passing of the two great authors

It's a sad day in the literary world with the passing of writers J.D. Salinger (The Catcher in the Rye) and Howard Zinn (The People's History of the United States), and Hollywood is feeling it.

John Cusack has taken to his Twitter page to honor them both.

"JD Salinger—what can one say? There was no equal no one within miles. Franny and Zooey—do it all for the fat lady—the perfect writing," he says. "Howard Zinn—a great man. People's History of the United States a must read for any free thinker—the passing of a master."

Ben Affleck released a statement on his friend Zinn, while Olivia Wilde, Elizabeth Banks, Kirstie Alley, Eliza Dushku, Rainn Wilson, Ryan Seacrest and more are tweeting their two cents:

• Affleck: "Howard had a great mind and was one of the great voices in the American political life. He taught me how valuable—how necessary—dissent was to democracy and to America itself. He taught that history was made by the everyman, not the elites. I was lucky enough to know him personally, and I will carry with me what I learned from him—and try to impart it to my own children—in his memory."
• Wilde: "Howard Zinn, a true hero of mine, whom I never got to thank for his donation to Artists for Peace and Justice. RIP…If you haven't read A People's History of the United States, you may want to run to the book store now."
• Banks: "Nine Stories is one of my favorite books of all time, and should be read in honor of JD Salinger."
• Alley: "Oh, Mr. Salinger passed away yesterday..he LOVED his privacy, so I will say no more..except...people will probably not be bugging you now…All you kiddies on here be sure to read CATCHER IN THE RYE by J.D. Salinger if you have not already done so. WON'T FIND BETTER WRITING."
• Dushku: "A huge loss. Howard Zinn, historian who challenged status quo, dies at 87...JD Salinger had died. Sad day, mourning these extraordinary people. Also peaceful celebrating their contributions to mankind."
• Wilson: "Howard Zinn passed away. A fascinating historian. Bon Voyage, sir. Must read: People's History of the United States…RIP JD Salinger. I always secretly thought I was a member of the Glass family & Franny & Zooey defined the spiritual angst of my 20s."
• Seacrest: "Sad to hear JD Salinger has passed...i remember reading Catcher in the Rye growing up. He was 91."
• Larry King: "JD Salinger has died. My favorite book is Catcher in the Rye."
• EthanSuplee: "Humanity has suffered a great loss with the passing of Howard Zinn."
• Joshua Malina: "We may never know which account Salinger was tweeting from."

Mandy Moore and Michael Urie are among those tweeting simple RIPs while others, including Suplee, Marlee Matlin and Ann Curry, offer quotations by the fallen scribes.