H. Marlene O'Toole

Transcription

Patrick Hemingway: WHEN WE READ A REALLY FINE WORK OF FICTION, WEʼRE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE AUTHOR. BECAUSE WE THINK, HOW DID THIS MAN GAIN THE INSIGHTS AND THE KNOWLEDGE TO WRITE SO WELL? THERE MUST BE SOMETHING ABOUT HIM THATʼS INTERESTING FOR HIMSELF OR HERSELF ALONE. AND THE LETTERS OF HEMINGWAY WILL SUPPLY THEM WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THEY WANT. Sandra Spanier: HIS PUBLISHED WORK IS KNOWN FOR HIS VERY SPARED DISCIPLINED HONED DOWN STYLE. HIS LETTERS ARE VERY CHATTY, GOSSIPY, FULL OF VIVID DESCRIPTIONS OF WILDLIFE, PEOPLEʼS CONVERSATIONS. AND SO, WE GET A DIFFERENT PICTURE OF HEMINGWAY THAN WHAT WE GET FROM HIS, EITHER HIS PUBLIC WORKS OR HIS PUBLIC PERSONA. Patrick Hemingway: MY IMPRESSION OF HIM AS A LETTER WRITER WAS OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY INTERACTED WITH THE PERSON HE WAS CORRESPONDING WITH AND I JUST AM REALLY DELIGHTED BECAUSE HE HAD THAT LETTER WRITING RELATIONSHIP WITH ME BUT HE HAD IT WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF EVERY SORT. AND SO, YOUʼRE GOING TO GET A PICTURE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO GO THROUGH LIFE, YOU KNOW. Sandra Spanier: HE HAD A WHOLE SPECTRUM OF FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATIONS IN HIS LIFE. HE WAS EQUALLY COMFORTABLE WITH GARY COOPER OR MARLENE DEITRICH OR A FISHERMAN IN COJIMAR, CUBA. SO, I THINK THAT THE LETTERS REALLY SORT OF GIVE US THIS PANORAMIC PICTURE OF ALL THE SIDES OF HEMINGWAY. WE ARE PRESENTING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN FIND// AND WE’RE DEFINING LETTER REALLY BROADLY. ITʼS POST CARDS, ITʼS TELEGRAMS, DRAFTS OF LETTERS. SOMETIMES HE WOULD WRITE A LETTER, HE WOULD VENT HIS FEELINGS IN A LETTER AND THEN IN THE MORNING, HE WOULD PROBABLY THINK BETTER OF IT AND HE DIDNTʼ THROW IT WAY, THATʼS WHATʼS INTERESTING. HE WOULD FOLD IT UP NEATLY SOMETIMES, PUT IT IN AN ENVELOPE AND WRITE “UNSENT” ACROSS THE ENVELOPE. BUT HE KEPT EVERYTHING Patrick Hemingway: HE CALLED A SPADE A SPADE WHEN IT CAME TO HIS FAMILY. HE WAS ALWAYS VERY HARSH. BUT, I THINK THATʼS ALWAYS THE CASE WHEN SOMEONE ACHIEVES A REAL EMINENCE IN THINGS. THEIR FAMILY EXPECTS THEM TO BE THE SAME PERSON THEY GREW UP WITH. AND THEYʼRE JUST NOT. Sandra Spanier: WE HAVE A VERY INTIMATE VIEW OF THE YOUNG HEMINGWAY IN VOLUME ONE, GROWING INTO HIS INDEPENDENCE AS HE LEAVES HOME, GOES TO WORK FOR THE KANSAS CITY STAR AND THEN GOES OFF TO WAR, COMES HOME AND THEN DECIDES, HEʼS NOT COMFORTABLE IN MAIN STREET AMERICA ANYMORE. OAK PARK IS NOT GOING TO HOLD ERNEST HEMINGWAY AFTER HE’S BEEN AWAY. Patrick Hemingway: IT’S REALLY TURNED OUT TO BE EXACTLY THE WAY I HOPED. AND OF COURSE IT’S ALSO INTERESTING BECAUSE IT’S PROBABLY THE LAST GREAT EXAMPLE OF A LETTER WRITER. BECAUSE LETTER WRITING IS A LOST ART NOW. NOBODY WRITES LETTERS.