The Fictional Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway might have shot himself in the head on a July morning in 1961, but he won’t die.

In the ensuing years, dozens of authors have used Ernest Hemingway as a fictional character, dicing and splicing known biographical bits in support of their made-up stories. Bill Granger’s Hemingway’s Notebook (1986). Joe Haldeman’s The Hemingway Hoax (1990). William McCranor Henderson’s I Killed Hemingway (1993). Michael Palin’s Hemingway’s Chair (1995). Diane Gilbert Madsen’s Hunting for Hemingway (2010). Ericka Robuck’s Hemingway’s Girl (2014).

I could go on.

Next Saturday, April 12, from 2-2:45 p.m., Dr. Nancy Sindelar and Dr. Michelle Moore will help me explore this phenomenon. As part of a Pop-up Book Fair at the Hemingway Museum in Oak Park, we will present a panel discussion called The Hemingway of Fiction. Drs. Sindelar and Moore are Hemingway experts and I’m eager to hear their opinions about, basically, “Why Hemingway?” There are plenty of intriguing dead writers to go around—J.D. Salinger, Norman Mailer, Gertrude Stein, Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, these would all make fine characters. Have, in fact. But no other writer, save, perhaps, Jane Austen, has been given such lavish literary treatment.

I'd read a smattering of these titles prior to putting together this panel, and am breezing through more in preparation for Saturday. There are some pretty well crafted stories, though none, certainly, approaches the kind of literary distinction Hemingway himself achieved. But I find them compulsively readable, perhaps for the same reason I enjoy baseball or gambling novels even when their quality is so-so--the topic itself makes me susceptible. I'll also ask Drs. Sindelar and Moore their thoughts on this: is there a good reason to employ Hemingway or his life's story rather than invent something new and whole?

The Pop-Up Book Fair is being sponsored by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation, Curbside Splendor, the Oak Park Public Library and 826CHI. It goes from 11 a.m. until 5, with programming running most of the day, beginning with a Chris Ware/Hillary Chute chat at noon. 826 has put together some children's programming, so, you know: bring the kids. A cross-section of Chicago literary organizations, including the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame, will occupy tables throughout the day--we'll be selling books, passing out literature, and generally making available plenty of free buttons, bookmarks and candy. 

I chose this topic mostly because it fits the setting. It seemed wrong to have a book fair at the Hemingway Museum and totally ignore the author all day.  The museum itself is of course worth exploring--it's really well done, with interesting artifacts and standing exhibits, complete with carefully crafted narratives.  

Dr. Nancy Singular

Dr. Sindelar has spent more than 30 years in education as a teacher, administrator, university professor and consultant and has published a bunch of articles and three books on educational topics. She is a board member of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park and has taught Hemingway: The Man, The Writer, The Legend. Sindelar has presented about the life and work of Hemingway all over the world, including Havana and soon Venice.   

Dr. Michelle Moore

Dr. Moore is Professor of English at the College of DuPage, where she teaches courses in modern American literature and film.  She also has published numerous articles and has given papers at the last two Modern Language Association Conventions on the Hemingway Society panels. She will be giving a paper on The Sun Also Rises and Vampires at the Society's conference in Venice this June.

When all the talking and book selling is done, there will be a party at the main library on Lake Street and Oak Park Ave. (just down the street from the museum). The time for the party is listed as 6-9 p.m., but my guess is that most people will come and leave early. 

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Donald G. Evans is the founder and executive director of the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. He is the author of the novel Good Money After Bad and short story collectionAn Off-White Christmas, as well as the editor of the anthology Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year. He is the Chicago editor of the Great Lakes Cultural Review. He serves on the American Writers Museum's Chicago Literary Council and the committee that selects the Harold Washington Literary Award.

donaldgevans@hotmail.com