HOW EXCITING AS PBS has announced an up and coming documentary produced by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick about the life of Ernest Hemingway. The media has made me dizzy releasing previews and snippets to get the word out.
This is a big deal. The April 5th date has been confirmed. This is comparable to the Master’s for golfers. I just happen to love golf and reading and both these broadcasts are coming in early April and are very welcomed. I do think it is a just reward for our psyche having made it through a long winter in the north. It should be great viewing.
Additionally, here in northern Michigan, a group of fans from Walloon Lake have put together a website that tells stories and reaches out to share the works and insights of the great writer. There events start April 1st and run through the middle of May.
When I was starting my memoirs almost ten years ago my oldest son sent me this memorable Hemingway quote and it kick started my own journey into writing.
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
That was an inspiration to me. I was in a “bleeding” way back then and through the discipline of daily writing I reflected on the events that had made up my life. Like magic, I began to smile and laugh again. Writing acted as a salve for my battle scars and putting it down on my laptop made me realize that I had lived a fun and varied life. Soon I was welcoming new challenges, and I finally admitted that marriage was not meant for me.
As my last wife used to say, “There is a season for everything,” which included us. Hey, it was my third marriage and it lasted longer than the other two. I was getting better at it, but summer always turns to fall, and the leaves fell and scattered in the wind. I trust I’m making my point.
In my own writings humor became my schtick and I woke one day placing my feet solidly on the ground and announced to my cat, “I’m a humorist.” Hell, I had to look it up and find out what was considered a humorist. There are lots of them according to Wikipedia.
So, in my writing I always try to find something that makes me smile and produces a chuckle. I took the liberty to add my own words to one of Hemingway’s famous thoughts combining our wisdom:
“Don’t drink while writing but you might thank god for the in-betweens.” Ernest Hemingway and Robert Adams.
Thank you, Ernest Hemingway. A glorious tribute is coming your way.
Note: It was a sadly disappointing production.
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