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Tags: Ernest Hemingway, life, literary life, literature, quote
Tag Archives: Ernest Hemingway
Image-Making in Correspondence: Hemingway and Kerouac
19 FebThere’s something so intimate about reading other people’s letters. I remember in high school one of my friends found someone’s folded up note, and I read it over and over again because I was so fascinated by their voice and the bluntness of what they’d written.
The New Criterion has an interesting article up about The Letters of Ernest Hemingway 1926-1929, edited by Rena Sanderson, Sandra Spanier, and Robert W. Trogdon. In “The master off duty,” Bruce Bawer writes:
One thing that needs to be said about these letters is that there’s a lot of conscious image-making going on in them. As one of his biographers, Jeffrey Meyers, has noted, Hemingway pursued a path of “scrupulous honesty in his fiction” but routinely felt compelled, in both his conversation and correspondence, “to distort and rewrite the story of his life.” Indeed, already in these documents dating to his late twenties, we find Hemingway recounting his experiences in a way calculated to make him come off as the same strong, stoic figure who, in succeeding decades, would take hold of imaginations around the world, thanks largely to splashy Life and Look photo spreads of the Nobel laureate on safari, at bullfights, and deep-sea fishing.
It reminded me a lot of Jack Kerouac, who both in his novels and his letters rewrote the story of his life. On message boards, people often ask what Kerouac biography they should read. It feels too presumptuous to recommend my own Kerouac biography, but I like to suggest people read Kerouac’s letters, edited by Ann Charters. Not only do they provide insight into his life, but they’re as engaging as his novels. Full of vigorous prose.
I’ve often wondered if writers correspond with the knowledge or hope that their letters might one day be collected and read by literary critics and obsessive fans and therefore take extra care in writing them? Or, was it that they were already writing to literary critics—their author friends, their agents, their publishers—and therefore trying to write in an entertaining, impressive style? Or perhaps, they are such great writers that even their letters come out with flair?
Bawer says:
Not Hemingway. He didn’t labor over these things—to put it mildly. When he wrote to his parents and editors, his main objective was to get certain personal or professional obligations out of the way; his letters to such eminences as T. S. Eliot and James Joyce, in which he faked at least a touch of humility and deference, were chiefly a means of networking. Even when he’s sending off dispatches to such authentic amis as Ezra Pound, Archibald MacLeish, and Gerald and Sara Murphy, with whom he’s truly eager to stay in touch and swap literary news and gossip, he’s not out to amuse or scintillate; on the contrary, you can feel him winding down after a day of “real” writing.
Perhaps there’s encouragement in that. One doesn’t just “sit down at a typewriter and bleed,” as Hemingway said. Nor did Kerouac simply write On the Road in three weeks after seven years on the road, as discussed in Burning Furiously Beautiful. Authors—even the very best ones—consider their audience, write, and rewrite.
You might also like:::
- Jack Kerouac’s angry postcard to his editor
- Hemingway and Kerouac explain “lost” and “beat” characters
- My literary highlights of 2015 include a Hemingway exhibit
- From the Lost Generation to the Beat Generation: Hollywood’s obsession
My Literary Highlights of 2015
31 JanEven more than art, literature is fundamental to my life. Reading was so important to my development as a child and continues to expand my horizons to this day. I earn my living as a writer and an editor, but even my social calendar revolves around literary events. Literature is very much a part of my identity, and I make a priority for it in my life.
Anne Waldman, Penny Arcade, Jan Herman, Steve Dalachinsky, and Aimee Herman read at Burroughs 101, hosted by Three Rooms Press, at Cornelia Street Cafe. (Anne Waldman pictured)
Pam Belluck, Hettie Jones, Margot Olavarria, Marci Blackman, and Beth Lisick read at Women on Top, hosted by Three Rooms Press, at Cornelia Street Cafe. (Hettie Jones pictured)
Big Sur (an adaptation of Kerouac’s novel) on Netflix
Epic four-hour brunch at The District with two writer friends, talking about “ethnic” literature, faith, and relationships.
After Sunset: Poetry Walk on the High Line.
My friends surprising me by taking me to a book-themed restaurant on my first night in Budapest.
Brunch with friends at the most exquisite bookstore, Book Cafe & Alexandra Bookstore, in Budapest.
Reading Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend, a recommendation from my friend Jane.
David Amram telling stories about Jack Kerouac and other literary figures and amazing us with his music at Cornelia Street Cafe.
Brunch with my friend Misako Oba, whose new book of photography and memoir, which I helped edit, was published.
Drinks with one of my favorite people at Durden, a bar based on author Chuck Palahniuk’s novel-turned-movie Fight Club.
New York City Poetry Festival with my writing group partner.
Watched Homer’s The Odyssey performed, put on by the Public Theater, in Central Park.
Reading from Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” (coauthored with Paul Maher Jr.) at WORD Bookstore in Jersey City.
Teaching a writing class at the Hobart Festival of Women Writers.
The Redeemed Writer: The Call and the Practice, a conference I co-led in organizing through the Center for Faith & Work. (Pastor David Sung pictured)
Brunch at Caffe Reggio, where Jack Kerouac and friends used to hang out.
Speaking on the panel Lessons Learned: Published Authors Share Hard-Earned Insights with Nana Brew-Hammond, Kerika Fields, Melissa Walker, Ruiyan Xu, and Jakki Kerubo at BinderCon.
Meeting regularly with one of my best friends to read and write together at the New York Public Library.
Checking out the Ernest Hemingway: Between Two Wars exhibit at the Morgan Library & Museum with a friend who is a huge Hemingway fan.
Spotting a first edition copy of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin.
Reading Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See.
Like literature?
Burning Furiously Beautiful on sale at Barnes & Noble.
Burning Furiously Beautiful on sale at Amazon.
My Pinterest posts called Lit Life.
I’m on Twitter.
Have a Slice of Espresso Cheese for National Coffee Day!
29 Sep
Happy National Coffee Day!
…Just don’t post a photo of your coffee or you might anger Rant Chic. Although, apparently there are coffeehouses that “print” your selfies into your latte with edible brown powder. The latte selfie is real!
I had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season on Sunday. Oh how I love my Barnes & Noble Cafe discount!!
What I really want to tell you about, though is that I discovered espresso cheese!! I road tripped out in Connecticut with two of my very dear friends whom I’ve known forever and ever, and we went out to Stew Leondard’s. Have you been there? It’s amazing. Maybe it’s all my city living, but grocery stores in suburbs amaze me with their wondrous wide aisle lit with bright lights showcasing jalapeño potato chips and refrigerated dog food. This one was one was particularly exceptional. They have cupcakes shaped like cheeseburgers and animatronic butter.
The employees are all super nice too. One saw me pondering an espresso cheese. I was so curious, I immediately answered “yes” when he asked me if I’d like to try it, even though I normally bashfully say no because I don’t want to bother them or appear greedy. Let me tell you: I am so glad my eagerness betrayed me. Made by Sartori, Espresso Bellavitano is earthy and sweet, decadent, and complex. It’s the perfect cheese to impress guests. I’d pair it with red grapes, raisins, currants, and cherry chutney. A hearty red wine would go well with it.
Here are a few of my past coffee-related posts to celebrate @NationalCoffeeDay:::
The Coffee Habit of Jack Kerouac
Kerouac Opened a Million Coffee Bars
Caffe Reggio is one of my favorite coffeehouses in all of New York City. I recommended their cup in my Beat gift guide.
Places to drink coffee in Grand Rapids
From the Ottoman Empire to Greenwich Village: Coffee Houses’ Literary History
What’s Your Coffee Personality? Get Greek-American author Dean Bakopoulos’ take
Not to be outdone by my Greek side… The Starving Artist Gulps Down Konditori’s Swedish Coffee
A habit I got from my mother.
Coffee not your drink of choice?
Stir up Kerouac’s Big Sur Manhattan
Or toast to Ernest Hemingway with a Daiquiri Recipe
Take a road trip to Monterey and visit Bargetto Winery for an apricot wine
Or hop on the subway and try the orange wine (not orange flavored!) at Brooklyn Winery
Go Greek with Pindar’s Pythagoras Wine
Speaking of lemonade… How ’bout some Champagne Pink Lemonade Punch?
Want something sans alcohol?
Hibiscus Nectarine Tea: A Trip to Hawai’i in a Glass
Holla for some Jalapeño-Infused Lemonade
Or if you’re a starving artist, Jazz Up Your Tap Water
Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Other Writers in Uniform
21 SepFlavorwire posted photos of writers from the Lost Generation’s F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway to the Beat Generation’s Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg in uniform.
So often the media portrays writers as counter-culture rebels who refused to conform, but every once in a while we catch a glimpse of them wearing a uniform just like everyone else. In Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” Paul Maher Jr. and I were careful to show the tensions between Kerouac conforming and rebelling.
I think that’s how all our lives are. There are moments when we fall in line because it is advantageous to us or because we feel called to do so and moments when we blaze our own path.
Hemingway’s Weirdo Six-Toed Cats
24 Jul“A cat has absolute emotional honesty: human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a cat does not.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
I’ve known for a long time that Ernest Hemingway liked cats. A lot. Key West is said to be overrun with cats because of him, which is probably a bit of an exaggeration.
But here’s a weird fact I just found out: About half of the cats that hang out at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida, have six toes! Normal cats have five toes in the front and four in the back, but not Hemingway’s cats. Hemingway’s cats have six toes.
The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum explains why there are about 50 extra-toed cats running around:
Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship’s captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snowball. Key West is a small island and it is possible that many of the cats on the island are related.
Six-toed cats are called polydactyl cats, but today many people use the term Hemingway cat as a stand in. You can read more about polydactyls and the history of the author’s cats here.
Other famous literary cat lovers include Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs.
Hemingway and Kerouac Explain “Lost” and “Beat” Characters
23 Jul
In honor of Ernest Hemingway’s 115th birthday this week, we toasted him with a daiquiri yesterday. Today the celebrations continue with a snippet from Burning Furiously Beautiful that shows the parallel between Hemingway and Jack Kerouac:
“Concerned that the message of his book had been misconstrued, Hemingway wrote to his editor Maxwell Perkins–who edited the work of Kerouac’s favorite author, Thomas Wolfe, thereby influencing Kerouac to approach Scribner with his work–that, though his characters were ‘battered,’ they were not ‘lost.’ Likewise, Kerouac would later clarify that the word ‘beat’ did not simply mean ‘beaten down’ but rather had the spiritual implications of the ‘beatitudes.'”
~ Burning Furiously Beautiful
Want to discover more parallels between the Lost Generation and the Beat Generation? Buy Burning Furiously Beautiful today from Lulu or Amazon.
Are you a starving artist and don’t have the cash money to shell out for the book? Never fear! Here are a few free links on this subject:
- 20 Reasons to Read “On the Road” in Your 20s
- From the Lost Generation to the Beat Generation: Hollywood’s Obsession
The Starving Artist Toasts Ernest Hemingway with a Daiquiri Recipe
22 Jul
“I drink to make other people more interesting.”
~ Ernest Hemingway
Starving artists know that birthdays mean free drinks at the bar. Today we toast to Ernest Hemingway, who would’ve turned 115 years old yesterday.
Hemingway had a bit of a reputation as a drinker. “I have drunk since I was fifteen and few things have given me more pleasure,” he wrote to the Russian translator and critic Ivan Kashkin. He and James Joyce used to toss back drink after drink together, though in that same 1935 letter to Kashkin he said alcohol wasn’t beneficial to writing. He was always a drinker, but after getting injured in a plane crash he drank even more heavily.
More than a few articles have been written about Hemingway’s drinking:
- 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Ernest Hemingway’s Drinking Habits (via Food Republic)
- The Passionate Affair Between Alcohol and Ernest Hemingway: The Paris Years (via Modern Drunkard)
- How to Drink, the Hemingway Way (via Salon)
- Why Do Writers Drink? (via The Guardian)
- Hemingway and Me, at the Bar (via The Washington Post)
Being an alcoholic is probably not the reputation anyone wants. No one wants to be dependent on alcohol. It can destroy your life and the lives around you. If you drink, drink responsibility. But there’s no shame in not drinking either!
Hemingway’s favorite drink was a martini, but he was also closely associated with mojitos and daiquiris. I thought a daiquiri would make a great summertime drink, so here’s the Starving Artist Hemingway Daiquiri recipe:
2 ounces white rum
¾ ounces lime juice
½ ounce grapefruit juice
¼ ounce maraschino liqueur
Blend these altogether with a cup of ice. Who has time and money for fancy garnishes like maraschino cherries and lime wedges? Drink this sucker from whatever glass you have clean as you sit on your stoop, defining your own generation.
You might also like these other posts from my blog:
Happy 115th Birthday, Hemingway!
21 Jul
Ernest Hemingway on safari, Kenya, 1954, via the JFK Library
That irascible author Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois. One of my friends, a fellow Scrippsie, actually took me to visit his birth home a number of years ago when I visited her in Chicago, and it’s an impressive house.
Hemingway lived quite the life! He was an ambulance driver in World War I, he reported on the Spanish Civil War, he married four times, he had a whole lotta cats, and he traveled and lived all over the world.
There’s even a planet named after him.
The author of sparsely worded novels, Hemingway wrote The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea, and other highly regarded works of literature.
While in Paris, Hemingway hung out with other expatriate writers. As Gertrude Stein put it, they were a Lost Generation. Hemingway quoted her in The Sun Also Rises.
It was this Lost Generation that inspired Jack Kerouac to come up with the term Beat Generation when he was talking with John Clellon Holmes one day. And Hollywood has taken notice.
Jack Kerouac’s Angry Postcard to His Editor
24 DecIn 1956, Viking Press expressed an interest in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. The author had been writing and rewriting his novel for years, and Kerouac was growing impatient as it languished in the publishing house. He was working with an editorial consultant named Malcolm Cowley, who had first gained renown for his 1929 book of poetry Blue Juniata before writing one of the first books about the Lost Generation. Having been associated with the Lost Generation, it in many ways made sense that he was attracted to the Beat Generation.
By the 1940s he was editing Viking Portable editions. He championed the work of William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway, and John Cheever. His interest in Kerouac’s On the Road is important to literary history. What many people forget is that Kerouac was already an established novelist before On the Road. He’d written a semi-autobiographical novel entitled The Town and the City that got respectable reviews with comparisons to Thomas Wolfe but which tanked when it came to sales. Kerouac had literary contacts, but selling On the Road still wasn’t easy. Cowley was interested but took his sweet time getting back to Kerouac.
On July 9, 1956, Kerouac sent him a postcard depicting the Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park threatening to sell On the Road elsewhere if he didn’t receive his contract and advance from Viking. You can read Kerouac’s postcard to Malcolm Cowley (as well as 14 other postcards from authors) at Flavorwire.
Yiasou!
Stephanie Nikolopoulos is a writer, editor, writing teacher, and speaker based in New York City.
She is the coauthor, with Paul Maher Jr., of "Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road.'"
You can email her at stephanie_701 {@} yahoo.com
Stephanie Nikolopoulos 