Who Was Ernest Hemingway? by Jim Gigliotti

 Who Was Ernest Hemingway? – one of the most famous American writers.

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was born in Oak Park, outside Chicago. From childhood, he was a curious child, exploring nature and being afraid of nothing. He also liked reading, especially adventure stories. This influenced his imagination.

His summers were spent hunting, fishing or reading.

In High School, he wrote short stories for school’s magazine.

His father, who was a doctor, and wanted Ernest to go to college, but sitting in a classroom for another four years wasn’t for Ernest.

His uncle helped him get a job as a reporter in the fall of 1917. He began reporting on news from the courthouse, but this wasn’t exiting to him. So he convinced his boss to assign him to crime reporting.

He liked working for newspaper, where he also learned a specific style of writing with short sentences, energetic words, positive focus, not using unnecessary words and adjectives.

During WWI, in 1918, he joined the Red Cross and drove ambulance in Italy. While delivering supplies to Italian soldiers, a bomb exploded and injured his leg. He was sent back to the US in January 1919.

Life in Oak Park didn’t offer adventure he was craving. In early 1920, he left for Toronto, Canada, where he wrote articles for the Toronto newspaper. Same year, in October, he was back in the US. He moved to Chicago and wrote articles about farming for a magazine.

Also, the same year, he met Hadley Richardson and they married nine months later.

His friend, who was a popular book author, recommended for Ernest to move to Paris if he wanted to become a serious writer. And that’s what Ernest did with his wife. In Paris, he became good friends with F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Meanwhile, he continued writing many articles for the Canadian newspaper. However, he wanted to work more on short stories. And he did, but he was also spending less and less time with his wife and son. They divorced in 1927.

Meanwhile, he met Pauline Pfeiffer and got married the same year. The same year, he also published a few short stories and one novel – The Sun Also Rises.

Following year 1928, they moved to Key West, Florida, where he became a fisherman. He also practiced boxing. He had a strict schedule. He wrote from morning hours until noon.

He had two sons with Pauline. Ernest had a complicated relationship with his father and the same was with his sons.  Ernest spent most of his time traveling and writing. He wasn’t around his sons often.

His second novel, A Farewell to Arms sold very well. After finishing a book, he’d take time to unwind and travel with Pauline or alone.

One of his trips was to Africa. As usual, his experiences provided plenty of inspiration for his writing.

In 1937, he agreed to report on the Spanish Civil War for the newspaper. During this time, he met Martha Gellhorn, a newspaper reporter.

In 1940, he divorced Pauline and married Martha. They lived near Havana, Cuba, where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls.

During WWII, things shifted again. Martha was a better war reporter than Ernest, and he was jealous of it. They got divorced in 1945.

He married Mary Welsh in 1946, who was also a reporter.

Between 1940 and 1950, Ernest didn’t write much.

When Across the River and Into the Trees were published in 1950, it didn’t receive good reviews.

His redemption was The Old Man and the Sea published in 1952 which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1953.

Following year, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. After this short novel, he didn’t write much.

After many injuries, his process of writing became slow. He also spiraled into drinking. He committed suicide in 1961.

This biography illustrates a complex character; a man who had a complicated relationship with his father, wives and children. However, he was good at following his natural instincts when it came to his passion for writing, which he connected with his adventures spirit. He was good at making himself a conduit of flowing energy for his passion. When he got bored, he didn’t get stuck. Instead, he looked for something new to reinvent himself and to improve his craft.

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2022

 

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: "There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." – Ernest Hemingway

 

 

 

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he was a curious child, exploring nature and being afraid of nothing.

·         He liked reading, especially adventure stories. This influenced his imagination.

·         His summers were spent hunting, fishing or reading.

·         He started writing short stories in school.

·         His father wanted him to go to college, but he didn’t want to sit still. He wanted to do his own exploration.

·         His high energy and adventures spirit were good indicators for him what steps to take in life and he was acting on it consistently: moving to different places in search of the right place and position for him, searching for subjects that made him passionate about in writing.

·         When he moved to Florida, he became a fisherman and also practiced boxing – always exploring new ventures.

·         He was disciplined. He had a strict schedule. He wrote from morning hours until noon. – (That could be also an indication why he didn’t like to sit at school and listen to teachers. He knew how to explore the world on his own and to further turn it into serving higher purpose, not just himself).

·         Ernest had a complicated relationship with his father and the same was with his sons. – (He repeated the pattern, not breaking the cycle).

·         He liked exploring new places, and those experiences provided plenty of inspiration for his writing.

·         His third wife was a better war correspondent than he was, and he was jealous of it. – (He took it too personally. He understood the concept that no one was better than another human being yet he struggled to process it within his own life. - Unfortunately, this societal trait of competition is accepted as good, but the only thing it teaches is that we’re better than others - that is not a trait to be followed, even if it’s accepted by majority).   

·         After his biggest success, he spiraled down with drinking. - (When we receive what we wish for but if we’re not ready for it, then something follows that disperses it. If your vessel is not ready to receive something, then it can’t hold it. Imagine an overloaded ship with cargo, it sinks).

 

 

 

 

 

"Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another." – Ernest Hemingway

 

“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” – Ernest Hemingway

 

“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.” – Ernest Hemingway

 

“The shortest answer is doing the thing.” – Ernest Hemingway

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION: 

 Reflecting on above words of Hemingway, brings to mind Conversations with the Z’s: The Energetics of the New Human Soul by Lee Harris. We’ve been programed to think certain way which limits our abilities. It was said before yet ignored how powerful our mind is and how little we use it to our advantage. There is more and more people experiencing raised consciousness or what some call remembering. We’re starting to wake up to what we’re capable of and who we are. We’re not better than any other human being. War is a means of dividing and controlling people. We all have powers to end wars. Learn how to listen, observe, and seek your own truth. Don’t rely on standards or opinions. Question everything and everyone. There is so much more to life than a mediocre life.

 

“Lee Harris has been receiving communication from his guides, the Z’s, since 1999. He has made this wisdom available in a variety of ways, helping hundreds of thousands around the world, and now he offers these powerful messages in a one-of-a-kind and distinctly modern format. His channeling is presented in conversation with psychotherapist Dianna Edwards, who describes her work as “listening to hear.” Her questioning allows for a crystal-clear exploration of Lee’s method and a beautifully accessible way of encountering and absorbing the wisdom transmitted from the Z’s. You’ll learn to connect to your guides, interpret and learn from dreams, employ the magnetics of manifestation, and navigate the current environmental and cultural disarray. The material channeled from the Z’s is practical and meaningful — even transformational — for seekers with open hearts and minds.”

George Washington: A Revolutionary Life by Tim Grove

 George Washington - first president of the newly formed nation

There is not much known about George’s childhood, but as a young boy he had two good mentors, Colonel William Fairfax and Thomas Fairfax. Both men took interest in George’s career. Surveying lands was a position available to George (to a man of his status). At seventeen, he began work as a professional surveyor.

In September 1751, George took a trip to Barbados. On the way there to occupy his time, he was learning marine navigation. In Barbados, he observed great wealth and met interesting people who were eager to discuss the affairs of the British Empire.

This trip lasted only three months but it proved to be a turning point in his life. He developed interest in military. He expressed his interest in the position of adjutant for Virginia’s southern district and was accepted. As a self-taught man, he learned training techniques from a book.

In October 1753, George accepted an assignment to lead a mission as Britain’s emissary to the French, a 900-mile journey.

During his two and a half month trip, he kept a journal. Upon his return, the journal and a map of the region drawn by George was sent to printers for publication. Newspapers and British publishers printed it and unexpectedly George became known in prominent circles.

George was continuously making a name for himself as a good leader and diplomat.

Washington became frustrated when King George repeatedly denied the regiment royal commissions and life pensions despite their loyal service. Because of that George resigned and ended his service to the British Crown.

His main focus, after leaving the military post, was on expending farming at Mount Vernon, with a goal of establishing a sustainable and profitable business. Again, he had to learn how to run a large agricultural operation. He read many books on the subject and created a circle of experienced farmers and experts who could give him guidance.

Due to British laws restricting tobacco sales, but not restricting wheat sales, he switched to experimenting with wheat production, then milling it into flour. He turned out to be a savvy businessman.

In his social circles, the expected next step was for him to serve the community which with time extended further outward.

Now, he was learning how to navigate the political world. By 1769, he had emerged as a leader in resistance against British policies. Again, he was gaining skills on the job and from those with more experience and cultivated a network of influential people.

After repeated increases in taxes by the British and the incident with the Boston tea party, Washington began study the tactics of the esteemed Prussian military. He had to figure out how to unify an army collected from thirteen colonies.

He proved to be a good military leader. When the mission was accomplished, he submitted his resignation to Congress as he believed that the people had the right to choose the right leader for the united colonies.

Many people saw him as the best candidate for the first president. Once president, many people hoped he would remain president indefinitely, but he wanted to set a good example of not serving for life. He departed his position after his mission was accomplished of firmly establishing Constitution and setting solid foundation for a freshly formed country.

This biography exemplifies a man who never stopped elevating himself in life on a personal level and improving lives of others, yet one fact remains he took part in building democracy intended for all yet he kept enslaved people.

Source: ABRAMS Kids, May 2026

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Throughout his life, George Washington maintained a curiosity about the world and a thirst for knowledge.

 

 

 

Traits:

·         Most of the time, he was surrounded by some kind of mentors.

·         He was a self-taught man. Whenever, he needed to learn something new, he’d read books, and create a circle of experts who could give him guidance.

·         His trip to Barbados made him interest in military. Upon his arrival, he applied for a position in the military.

·         When an opportunity opened for a mission that was strenuous, it didn’t discourage him, he accepted the challenge.

·         His first professional position was in surveying land. This experience served him well in the military. While on a special mission, he surveyed the land for the military. His maps got published upon his return, unexpectedly he became known in prominent circles.

·         He never stopped elevating himself. He continuously made a name for himself as a good leader and diplomat.

·         He turned out to be a savvy businessman and proved to be a good military leader.

·         He always wanted to set a good example in every venture he undertook. However, one aspect will remain questionable - he took part in building democracy intended for all yet he kept enslaved people.

·         Once solid ground was created for a new nation, he proved with his own act what he created on paper. President had to be chosen democratically and serve a specific term only.

"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one" – George Washington

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

       

The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter and Miracles by Bruce Lipton - “Author Lipton is a former medical school professor and research scientist. His experiments, and those of other leading-edge scientists, have examined in great detail the processes by which cells receive information. The implications of this research radically change our understanding of life. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology; that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts. Dr. Lipton's profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics is being hailed as a breakthrough, showing that our bodies can be changed as we retrain our thinking.”