It’s too bad Papa Hemingway isn’t around to set the record straight about his life: not only his actual birth date (either July 22, 1898 or July 22, 1899, depending on which source you consult), but also the bit of a dustup over the latest version of his memoir, A Moveable Feast. Hemingway’s grandson, Sean, has altered, added and edited the original version of this book, originally published in 1964, three years after Hemingway’s death, by his last wife, Mary.
The latest version of A Moveable Feast, published this month, has been "revised", with the help of Ernest’s original notes, to more accurately reflect (in Sean Hemingway’s view) how his grandfather felt about Hadley, his first wife, and Pauline, his second wife (grandmother of Sean). With none of the main characters still living or personally acquainted with the Nobelist (Sean wasn’t born until 1967), we can’t be sure which version of the memoir is truly more Ernest. Nor whether the author would turn 111 or 110 on Wednesday, July 22. This fact may be of little consequence to all but literary historians and astrologers (the latter would note, with some alacrity, that the actual birth year would considerably revise the position of the planets, particularly the all-important Moon). Putting the memoir revisions and questionable birth dates aside, there is still plenty enough Hemingway writing to go around - particularly this year as Scribner’s is republishing all of his works.
My back-story reading about Hemingway, in conjunction with the revised memoir, comes from a lengthy June, 1958 piece in Wisdom magazine. The Wisdom segment is full of anecdotes about the great author, rarely-seen photos (some shown below) and three pages of quotes. Hemingway granted few interviews, and Wisdom slyly hints that the article author, John Atkins, personally spoke with him (without hint of bragging). Atkins writes "In an answer to one of my stupid questions, he (Hemingway) says…." Atkins seemed to know many details about Hemingway - his many scars, his stature (big torso, spindly legs),his forceful handshake (as if you’d run into a door), his friends and his Cuban estate, Finca Vigia. In this indepth article, only one Hemingway wife is mentioned, in passing, (his many cats receive more attention). For fans of his writing, there are several references to the Great One’s writing style and his working habits. But there is no mention of Hemingway’s alleged work as a spy during WWII (something revealed only recently).
NPR radio also recently reported Hemingway would celebrate his 110th birthday this year, but my 1958 copy of Wisdom Magazine lists Papa’s birthdate as 1898, which would make him 111 this week. Since he was still alive when this article was published, I give considerable weight to the 1898 date (which also can be found listed in some places on the internet).Atkins, the article’s author, was so careful to quote and describe Hemingway in a reverential manner, one would assume he would have double-checked his birth date. But mistakes do happen.
If you read Hemingway or if you have favorites among his novels, the Wisdom article (possibly available on the internet) will fill you in on the novelist’s background and his beliefs about writing. Below are some of noteworthy quotes as they apply to Ernest Hemingway’s views on truth and its embroidery:
…"As an old newsman, I am prepared to defend the position that no history is written honestly. You have to keep in touch with it at the time, and you can depend on just as much as you have actually seen and followed…."
"The writer’s standard of fidelity to the truth should be so high that his invention, out of his experience, should produce a truer account than anything factual can be…."
Note: These quotes, critique, discussion of sport-fishing and making movies based on Hemingway books (EH was very much hands-on) can all be found in the June, 1958 issue of Wisdom. Reportedly upcoming - an independent movie by Andy Garcia about Hemingway’s relationship with his Cuban fishing guide.
