Shows
One True PodcastHemingway's CatsJoin us for a wide-ranging discussion about Hemingway’s cats! Ernest Hemingway was one of the most famous cat lovers in all of American literature, so we celebrate his passion for cats with three conversations that provide us three different perspectives.First, we talk to Alexa Morgan, director of public relations at the Hemingway Home in Key West. She is intimately familiar with the day-to-day operations of the present-day Hemingway cats, herding all fifty-seven of them on a daily basis.Next, evolutionary theorist Axel Lange describes the science behind polydactyly, that extra toe Hem...2025-07-311h 15One True PodcastThe Ending of A Farewell to ArmsOn the happy occasion of Mark’s new Norton Library edition of A Farewell to Arms, One True Podcast goes deep into its vault. We are at last releasing to the general public one of our seldom-heard Patreon episodes, an exploration of the final chapter of A Farewell to Arms, the epic and heart-wrenching chapter 41.We discuss Catherine’s behavior, the narrative’s disproportionate focus on Frederic as a witness, his eating and drinking, the medical staff, a couple of one true sentences, the ethics of reading someone else’s newspaper, and the notion that the ending of this...2025-06-191h 15One True PodcastSuzanne del Gizzo on "The Blind Man's Christmas Eve"Happy holidays from One True Podcast, and it wouldn’t be the holiday season without Suzanne del Gizzo—the celebrated editor of The Hemingway Review—here to discuss another one of Hemingway’s seasonally appropriate works. In previous years, we have talked together about “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen,” “Christmas on the Roof of the World,” “The Christmas Gift,” and “A North of Italy Christmas.” This year, we explore “The Blind Man’s Christmas Eve,” an article Hemingway wrote for The Toronto Star in December 1923.With Suzanne, we place the story in its historical and biographical contexts, delve into the relationship be...2024-12-231h 06One True PodcastMark Whalan and Karen Leick on American ModernismAmerican modernism is a concept that is so slippery that even scholars don’t always agree on its definition. Is it a historical era, or a literary technique? Was Ernest Hemingway even a modernist? If so, which of his works are most modernistic?For this discussion, we turn to Mark Whalan, editor of the compendious new volume, Cambridge History of American Modernism, and Karen Leick, one of its contributors, who places Hemingway in a conversation with other American modernists including Stein, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald. We discuss his work, his celebrity, the difference between the myth and the ma...2024-02-191h 00One True PodcastOne True Sentence #34 with Mark KurlanskyMark Kurlansky, the author of dozens of books of fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature (including Cod, Salt, and The Importance of Not Being Ernest), shares his one true sentence from Hemingway's story "In Another Country."2024-02-0525 minOne True PodcastSuzanne del Gizzo on "A North of Italy Christmas"‘Tis the season! And it wouldn’t be the holiday season without welcoming Suzanne del Gizzo to discuss a seasonally appropriate Hemingway work. In this episode, we examine “A North of Italy of Christmas,” a raucous article he wrote for the Toronto Daily Star one hundred years ago.Del Gizzo – the celebrated editor of The Hemingway Review -- discusses the absurd humor in the piece, all the mistletoe, old favorite Chink Dorman-Smith, and Hemingway’s early writing style. She unpacks the curious title, offers some unexpected background on the origin of the mistletoe tradition, and places the article in i...2023-12-2548 minOne True PodcastMichael Kim Roos on Rinaldo Rinaldi in A Farewell to ArmsJoin us for a special episode devoted to Lieutenant Rinaldo Rinaldi from A Farewell to Arms!On this episode, scholar Michael Kim Roos (co-author of the essential Reading Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms) explores the many dimensions of this beloved character. We discuss Rinaldi’s role as Frederic Henry’s best friend, his development over the course of the novel, Hemingway’s historical inspiration for this character, and the way Rinaldi, a man of science and sensualism, represents one of the novel’s most important themes. In addition, we cover Rinaldi’s iconic appearance as Nick Adams’s audi...2023-11-061h 01One True PodcastJames Nagel and Dimitri Villard on Hemingway in Love and WarErnest Hemingway’s Red Cross experience in Italy during World War I was short, but it changed the course of his life and his writing. From being wounding in July 1918 to the abrupt end to his relationship with nurse Agnes Von Kurowsky, Hemingway would revisit those traumas for the rest of his life and write about them for his entire career.This pair of tumultuous experiences led to a fascinating book – Hemingway in Love and War – co-written by Hemingway’s hospital roommate Henry Serrano Villard and scholar James Nagel. This book collects Villard’s Red Cross memoir, Von Kurows...2023-05-2251 minOne True PodcastMackenzie Astin on In Love and WarActor Mackenzie Astin joins us to discuss the 1996 movie In Love and War, the narrative of Hemingway’s wounding in World War I and subsequent romance with nurse Agnes Von Kurowsky. Directed by Richard Attenborough and starring Chris O’Donnell, Sandra Bullock, Emilio Bonucci, as well as Astin, this war epic depicts the upheaval that World War I created in the life of the teenaged Hemingway and others. Astin discusses Attenborough’s benevolent presence on the set, the performance of the stars, Venice at sunrise, and he comments on this eternal narrative of a young man goin...2023-05-2254 minOne True PodcastJohn Hemingway on Strange TribeJohn Hemingway - grandson of Ernest and son of Gregory -- shares his remarkable story with us. We explore John's important book, Strange Tribe: A Family Memoir, his revealing and unsparing account of his life as a Hemingway.We cover Ernest's volatile relationship with John's father, a history that includes affection and intimate understanding, but also correspondence filled with recriminations. Our discussion of the Ernest-Gregory relationship leads to an illuminating examination of fathers and sons, gender fluidity, mental health, and much more. John also describes his travels and his own writing, and he recalls the close bond...2023-04-1048 minOne True PodcastRuss Pottle on "Hills Like White Elephants"Is “Hills Like White Elephants” Hemingway’s greatest short story ever, or only his most famous? Bolstering the case for “Hills Like White Elephants” as the G.O.A.T., esteemed scholar Russ Pottle joins us to explain the story’s composition, imagery, historical and biographical contexts, and unforgettable dialogue.Pottle helps us read between the lines in the ways Hemingway characterizes Jig and the American through their dialogue and their silence, and through their actions. We figure out exactly how one can wait “reasonably” for a train, and what Hemingway means by the ambiguous ending when Jig s...2023-03-2059 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #26 with Ilan StavansIlan Stavans, publisher of Restless Books and author of numerous works including Quixote and What is American Literature?, shares his one true sentence from Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.2023-03-0938 minOne True PodcastGioia Diliberto on Hadley RichardsonFor an episode devoted to Hadley Richardson, we are proud to welcome Gioia Diliberto, esteemed writer and author of many books, including Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway’s First Wife. We explore Hadley’s difficult childhood, her time in Paris with Hemingway, the dissolution of their marriage, the loss of Hemingway’s manuscripts, the famous “100-day separation” pact, and the rest of their legendary relationship. Diliberto discusses the revelations of the Sokoloff tapes, Hadley’s recorded reminiscences of Hemingway many decades later. We learn how Hadley felt about A Moveable Feast, Pauline Pfeiffer, and also Hemingw...2023-02-2750 minOne True PodcastMartina Mastandrea on "In Another Country"The great Italian scholar Martina Mastandrea discusses “In Another Country,” one of Hemingway’s finest short stories. After Mastandrea treats us to an Italian rendition of the famous opening paragraph, we explore the many treasures of the story: Why did F. Scott Fitzgerald admire the first sentence of the story so much? Is this a Nick Adams story? What does it tell us about Hemingway's perspective on war? What's the difference between our protagonist and the hunting hawks? Why is the major so insistent on speaking Italian grammatically…. and never marrying? Join us in our discussion...2023-02-0657 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #25 with Naomi WoodNaomi Wood, author of Mrs. Hemingway, shares her one true sentence from a letter Hemingway wrote to friends Gerald and Sara Murphy after the death of their son, Baoth, in 1935. 2023-01-2633 minOne True PodcastJames M. Hutchisson on Hemingway in 1923Happy New Year from One True Podcast! We usher in 2023 with our new year's tradition of wondering what Ernest Hemingway was doing one hundred years ago. In 1923, what was Hemingway writing? Where did he live? Who were his friends and enemies? How was his marriage going? And what was on the horizon? To answer these questions, we turn to his biographer, James M. Hutchisson, emeritus professor at The Citadel and author of Ernest Hemingway: A New Life. Hutchisson describes Hemingway’s trajectory during this year of transition, a young man recuperating from trauma and loss to a stri...2023-01-1648 minOne True PodcastSuzanne del Gizzo on "The Christmas Gift"We welcome back Suzanne del Gizzo to ring in the season with a discussion of “The Christmas Gift,” Hemingway’s account of his 1954 plane crashes in East Africa. Del Gizzo, editor of The Hemingway Review and widely published scholar, guides us through this extraordinary piece originally written for Look magazine, its role in Hemingway’s self-mythologizing, its examination of his near-death experience, its representation of Mary, and how the article both reveals and obscures what actually happened. It has been a triumphant 2022 for One True Podcast, so we hope you’ll enjoy unwrapping this gift of an episo...2022-12-2359 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #24 with Michael MewshawMichael Mewshaw, author of numerous novels and nonfiction works (including Year of the Gun, The Lost Prince, and the forthcoming My Man in Antibes: Getting to Know Graham Greene) shares his one true sentence from Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms.2022-12-1531 minOne True PodcastJackson Bryer on the Hemingway CodeWe are joined by legendary scholar Jackson Bryer, who explains the origins and implications of a notorious concept: the Hemingway code. When the code was introduced in the 1950s by influential scholar Philip Young, what did he intend it to mean? What is a "code hero"? What is a "Hemingway hero"? What did Hemingway mean by “grace under pressure”? Bryer helps us explore the impact and legacy of the code, its relevance today and its limitations, ultimately suggesting how it might enrich our experience of reading Hemingway’s work. We discuss numerous examples from Hemingway's works t...2022-12-0554 minOne True PodcastDon Daiker on The Nick Adams StoriesWe welcome prolific scholar Don Daiker to help us celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Nick Adams Stories. We discuss the volume’s impact and legacy, Philip Young’s controversial editorial decisions, the sequencing, and the characterization of Nick himself, in all of his various phases. Which stories does Daiker consider underrated? Is Dr. Adams unjustly criticized as cold and unloving? What is the role of “The Last Good Country,” the longest story in the volume? Is “Big Two-Hearted River” ultimately affirmative or tragic? We tackle these issues and much, much more as we examin...2022-11-1459 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #23 with Joshua FerrisJoshua Ferris, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for his novel Then We Came to the End, joins us to discuss his one true sentence from The Sun Also Rises.2022-11-0329 minOne True PodcastHariclea Zengos on "On the Quai at Smyrna"One hundred years ago, in September 1922, Turkish forces torched the port city of Smyrna in a hellish episode towards the end of the Greco-Turkish War. The ensuing evacuation, with its chaos and grisly violence, inspired Hemingway’s journalism as well as his short fiction. Hemingway’s most enduring effort to capture this atrocity is "On the Quai at Smyrna," which would become the first story in his collection In Our Time. This masterpiece of irony with its memorable narrative voice has intrigued readers, even as its historical basis has been less discussed, especially by American readers. T...2022-10-2452 minOne True PodcastKirk Curnutt on "After the Storm"We are asking the entire One True Podcast community to contribute to the Hurricane Ian relief effort. Our production studios are in Fort Myers, Florida, which took the brunt of the storm, so we want to do anything we can to lend a hand. This episode honors the recovery effort by urging our listeners to go to www.communitycooperative.com and give generously to provide direct help to those who suffered from the hurricane. Fittingly, we will devote this One True Fundraiser to a lively discussion of Hemingway’s hardboiled short story, “After the Storm,” set in the af...2022-10-1958 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #22 with Kawai Strong WashburnKawai Strong Washburn, winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award for his novel Sharks in the Time of Saviors, joins us to discuss his one true sentence from "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place."2022-09-1827 minOne True PodcastTimothy Christian on Mary Welsh HemingwayTimothy Christian, author of Hemingway's Widow: The Life and Legacy of Mary Welsh Hemingway, joins us for a conversation about Hemingway's fourth and final wife. Our wide-ranging interview covers Mary's life before, during, and after Hemingway. We explore Mary's family, her early life and education, including her impressive career as a journalist. We cover her first encounter with Hemingway in London during World War II, the development of their sometimes-volatile relationship, and her crucial role in shaping Hemingway's legacy and her own. Christian expertly guides us through the true history behind the story of Hemingway's widow.2022-09-1252 minOne True PodcastThomas Neil Knowles and Erika Robuck on the 1935 Labor Day HurricaneOne True Podcast examines the deadly category 5 hurricane that ravaged the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend in 1935, both from a historical perspective and a fictional treatment. We first hear from historian Thomas Neil Knowles, author of Category 5: The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, who describes the deadly weather system, its devastating toll on the veterans stationed along the Keys, the bureaucratic inefficiencies, and its legacy. Next, we are joined by Erika Robuck, award-winning author of Hemingway’s Girl, which uses the 1935 hurricane as a historical touchstone. She discusses her approach to fictionalizing Hemingway, how she researched th...2022-08-221h 04One True PodcastOne True Sentence #21 with Billy CollinsBilly Collins, the author of numerous collections of poetry and the U.S. Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003 , shares his one true sentence from "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place."2022-08-1149 minOne True PodcastJohn Sutton and Chris Warren on Hemingway's RockiesIn this live interview from the 19th Biennial Hemingway Society Conference in Sheridan, Wyoming, we talk with John Sutton and Chris Warren about Hemingway's summers spent in Wyoming and Montana and how his experiences in the American West left their mark on his stories and novels.John Sutton is the director of the NEH “Creating Humanities Communities along Wyoming's Hemingway Highway” Grant project. Chris Warren is the author of Ernest Hemingway in the Yellowstone High Country.During this interview, we explore the lack of critical attention on Hemingway's time in this part of the U.S...2022-08-0148 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #20 with Craig JohnsonCraig Johnson, author of the widely celebrated Longmire series, shares his one true sentence from "The Snows of Kilimanjaro."2022-07-2022 minOne True PodcastDarla Worden on Hemingway's WyomingIn the lead-up to the Hemingway Society conference in Wyoming and Montana, we welcome Darla Worden to explore some fascinating connections between Hemingway and the American West.Worden is the author of the book Cockeyed Happy: Ernest Hemingway's Wyoming Summers with Pauline. She's also the founder and director of the Left Bank Writers Retreat in Paris and the Wyoming Writers Retreat. Although we may not associate Hemingway with the American West, Worden describes the importance of Hemingway's summers in Wyoming in the late 20s and 30s, his writing of A Farewell to Arms, his time...2022-07-1149 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #19 with Jennifer HaighJennifer Haigh, author of Mrs. Kimble and Mercy Street, joins us to talk about her one true sentence from the short story "Mr. and Mrs. Elliot."2022-06-3024 minOne True PodcastTom Jenks on Editing The Garden of EdenIn 1986, twenty-five years after Hemingway’s death, Scribner’s published a coherent portion of his sprawling manuscript called The Garden of Eden. This publication changed the way we view Hemingway’s engagement with gender and sexuality, and remains his most daring novel ever. In order to make that novel publishable, Scribner’s called on a gentleman named Tom Jenks to do the editing. Jenks hauled the manuscript home on the New York City subway in shopping bags and began his work, which was one of the most high-profile editorial jobs in the history of American literature. Jenks...2022-06-2054 minOne True PodcastMark I. Lurie on Lewis Galantière and Rufus Hickok on Guy HickokToday’s episode investigates two largely forgotten figures from Hemingway’s past: Lewis Galantière and Guy Hickok. Galantière was a critic who befriended Hemingway in the early Paris years, and they maintained a friendship and correspondence for many years. Hickok was Hemingway’s journalist buddy who accompanied him through Italy for the notorious March 1927 trip that spawned “Che Ti Dice La Patria?” To discuss these men and their respective relationships to Hemingway, we welcome their descendants and chroniclers: Mark I. Lurie, author of Galantière: The Lost Generation’s Forgotten Man, and Rufus Hickok, author of The Paris Bur...2022-05-301h 02One True PodcastOne True Sentence #18 with David FrumDavid Frum, staff writer at The Atlantic, author of numerous books including Trumpocracy and Trumpocalypse, and speechwriter for President George W. Bush, joins us to talk about his one true sentence from A Farewell to Arms.2022-05-1926 minOne True PodcastAndrew Feldman on Revolutionary CubaAndrew Feldman joins us to talk about his book Ernesto: The Untold Story of Hemingway in Revolutionary Cuba. What did Cuba mean to Papa and what has Papa meant to Cuba? To explore the place where Hemingway spent much of his adult life and Ernest became Ernesto, we discuss Hemingway's relationship to the Cuban people, his engagement with Cuban politics, and some of his greatest works, including The Old Man and the Sea and A Moveable Feast. Feldman gives One True Podcast a debrief on his extraordinary two-year research trip to Havana and its environs, wh...2022-05-0950 minOne True PodcastJ. Gerald Kennedy on In Our TimeHemingway’s first book of short stories, In Our Time, is the most experimental work of his career and his most challenging. It is also an early masterpiece, with brutal, opaque stories like “Indian Camp,” “The Battler,” and "Soldier's Home." For this episode, we are joined by J. Gerald Kennedy, editor of the new Norton Critical Edition of In Our Time, to discuss the emergence of the Hemingway style, the book as a narrative sequence, its composition, its legacy, and even the discarded fragment of metafiction called “On Writing.” From classics like “Big Two-Hearted River” to less-discussed s...2022-04-181h 00One True PodcastOne True Sentence #17 with Michael KatakisMichael Katakis, photographer and author of A Thousand Shards of Glass, Ernest Hemingway: Artifacts from a Life, and Dangerous Men, joins us to talk about his one true sentence from the short story "Indian Camp."2022-04-0722 minOne True PodcastRuth A. Hawkins on Pauline PfeifferThe pride of Arkansas, Ruth A. Hawkins, joins the show for an illuminating episode on Hemingway’s second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer.Hawkins draws from her definitive book Unbelievable Happiness and Final Sorrow to discuss Pfeiffer’s family and upbringing, her controversial friendship with Hadley, her marriage to Ernest, her motherhood, the mysterious details of her death, and her legacy. Although the Hemingway-Pfeiffer marriage is often ignored or even maligned, new dimensions to their relationship emerge through our conversation as Hawkins traces their history together, both the happiness and sorrow. 2022-03-2856 minOne True PodcastMichael Thurston on Bill Gorton in The Sun Also RisesJoin us for a conversation about one of Hemingway's most beloved secondary characters: the hard-drinking, fun-loving, quick-witted writer, fly fisher, and amateur taxidermist, Bill Gorton from The Sun Also Rises.Michael Thurston, editor of the new Norton Critical Edition of The Sun Also Rises, guides us through Bill's friendship with Jake, explores the historical people who inspired his creation, analyzes Bill's role in the novel, and also pins down some of his more arcane allusions.This episode is a simple exchange of values: give it a listen and be treated to a lively discussion of...2022-03-0756 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #16 with Brian TurnerBrian Turner, author of Here, Bullet and My Life as a Foreign Country, joins us to talk about his one true sentence from The Old Man and the Sea.2022-02-2427 minOne True PodcastSarah Churchwell on Fitzgerald in A Moveable FeastMeet us at rue Delambre for a memorable chat with Sarah Churchwell about the way Hemingway’s memoir A Moveable Feast has shaped the way we think about the Hemingway-Fitzgerald relationship. What are the repercussions of Hemingway getting the last word on the Fitzgerald legacy? How much of what Hemingway wrote is even true? What were Hemingway’s strategies as he described himself, Fitzgerald, Zelda, and even Bumby in the alcohol-soaked distant memories of 1920s Paris? And is the butterfly epigraph a backhanded compliment or a forehanded insult? Sarah Churchwell -- author of the excellent Gatsb...2022-02-1455 minOne True PodcastRyan Hediger on "A Natural History of the Dead"We are joined by Ryan Hediger to get to the bottom of Hemingway's genre-bending and gruesomely descriptive "A Natural History of the Dead."First published in Hemingway's bullfighting treatise Death in the Afternoon in 1932 and then reprinted a year later in Winner Take Nothing, this work gives us a chance to consider Hemingway's treatment of death in his work, as well as the artist's obligation to depict violence with a scientific objectivity. Hediger discusses the way "A Natural History of the Dead" simultaneously satirizes the nature writers that preceded Hemingway, while also providing a window i...2022-01-2446 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #15 with Pam HoustonPam Houston, author of Cowboys Are My Weakness, Deep Creek, and Contents May Have Shifted, joins us to talk about her one true Hemingway sentence. 2022-01-1323 minOne True PodcastMary V. Dearborn on Hemingway in 1922We usher in 2022 by exploring what Hemingway was doing one hundred years ago. Mary V. Dearborn, the author of Ernest Hemingway: A Biography, joins the show to discuss Hemingway’s writing from 1922, his formative experiences as a journalist, and the notorious lost manuscripts last seen in Paris’s Gare de Lyon. For literary modernism, 1922 is an annus mirabilis, and we celebrate Hemingway’s own 1922, as he makes his first steps onto the global stage. Happy New Year, everybody, and happy listening! 2022-01-0352 minOne True PodcastSuzanne del Gizzo on "Christmas on the Roof of the World"Ring in the season with One True Podcast! Hemingway Review editor Suzanne del Gizzo joins us on our holiday show for the second year in a row. For this episode, we discuss Hemingway’s charming 1923 article for the Toronto Daily Star, “Christmas on the Roof of the World,” his chronicle of a skiing idyll in the Swiss Alps with his wife Hadley and “Chink” Dorman-Smith.We discuss the article’s fascinating prose style, its uncharacteristic tone, and the placement of this obscure piece in Hemingway’s career. Our conversation also considers Hemingway’s biography in the winter of 1922-23, the...2021-12-2348 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #14 with Sherman AlexieSherman Alexie, the award-winning writer, poet, and filmmaker whose works include The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Reservation Blues, joins us to talk about his one true Hemingway sentence from "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber."2021-12-1326 minOne True PodcastJames Naremore on the 75th Anniversary of The KillersStop by Henry’s lunch-room as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the adaptation of The Killers with legendary film historian James Naremore. We discuss the legacy of the film, the difficulty of adapting Hemingway’s writing, what makes this movie a noir classic, the performances of megastars Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner, and so much more.Hemingway once said that he enjoyed watching the movie “when I want to see Miss Gardner and hear the shooting.” He also called it “the only good picture ever made of a story of mine.” So, pull up a chair and j...2021-11-2248 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #13 with Debra A. ModdelmogDebra Moddelmog shares her one true sentence from Hemingway's short story "The Sea Change."2021-11-1123 minOne True PodcastJanet Somerville on Martha GellhornJoin us as we welcome Janet Somerville, author of Yours, for Probably Always, for a fascinating discussion about Martha Gellhorn. Gellhorn is most often remembered and depicted as Ernest Hemingway's third wife, but she was also a novelist, war correspondent, activist, and iconoclast. Somerville guides us through the life of this trailblazer: her childhood in St. Louis, a close relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt, that notorious first encounter with Hemingway in a Key West bar, her tumultuous life during and after her marriage to Hemingway, and her formidable writing career. Listen for clips from the audio b...2021-11-0153 minOne True PodcastHemingway and BaseballIn this episode, we celebrate the Fall Classic with a show devoted to Hemingway and baseball. First, we welcome scholar Sharon Hamilton to discuss the 1919 Black Sox scandal, how it affected Hemingway, and the legacy that World Series and the trial had on society and sports.We then have a conversation with David Martens and Joshua Robinson, who recall their experiences investigating Gigi’s All-Stars, the baseball team of Cuban youngsters that Hemingway formed to occupy his youngest son, Gregory. (We include a clip of the audio from one of the All-Stars, the legendary Cayuco "Jo...2021-10-111h 11One True PodcastOne True Sentence #12 with Russell BanksRussell Banks, author of Cloudsplitter and Foregone, shares his one true sentence from Hemingway's A Moveable Feast.2021-09-3024 minOne True PodcastFrom St. Louis to Kansas City with Andrew Theising and Steve PaulJump on Interstate 70 with us as we take a trip between two great American cities planted on the outer edges of Missouri -- St. Louis and Kansas City -- in order to explore their connections to Hemingway. In the first half of our discussion, we're joined by Andrew Theising, author of Hemingway's Saint Louis: How St. Louisans Shaped His Life and Legacy, to understand more about the city's history, its arts & culture, and a vast array of St. Louisans, including Hemingway's first three wives. 250 miles away, we pick up with the story of Kansas City...2021-09-201h 01One True PodcastNicholas Reynolds on Hemingway as Soldier and SpyIn this episode, we welcome Nicholas Reynolds, author of Writer, Sailor, Soldier, Spy: Ernest Hemingway's Secret Adventures, 1935-1961, to discuss Hemingway's politics and involvement in espionage and intelligence. Why was the Labor Day hurricane of 1935 Hemingway's political genesis point? How and why was he recruited by the Soviet NKVD? What was his involvement, beyond the role of war correspondent, during WWII? Reynolds, a former Marine colonel and intelligence officer who has served as the historian at the CIA Museum, explores these and other topics as we investigate Hemingway's preternatural intelligence-gathering ability, his growing paranoia during the later y...2021-08-3054 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #11 with Erik NakjavaniErik Nakjavani shares his one true sentence from Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa.2021-08-1922 minOne True PodcastA. Scott Berg on Max PerkinsFor this fascinating discussion, we welcome the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian A. Scott Berg, author of Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, to discuss Perkins’s role in Hemingway’s life and career.Berg talks about the research and writing of his biography, the difference between Perkins’s approach to editing and promoting Hemingway and Fitzgerald, and the editor's collaborations with other writers such as Thomas Wolfe, James Jones, and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. Berg also offers his “one true sentence” from all of Hemingway’s work. We hope you enjoy this episode with one of America’s leading biograp2021-08-0952 minOne True PodcastValerie Hemingway on the Summer of 1959We welcome Valerie Hemingway to share her memories of her father-in-law and the thrilling Spanish summer of 1959. We draw from her wonderful memoir Running with the Bulls to hear stories about Hemingway’s later years, his writing process, and the stark difference between the dangerous summer of 1959 and the grim crises of 1960. Ms. Hemingway recollects her own Irish childhood and her development as a young journalist thrust into the exhilarating role as Hemingway’s secretary. She also looks back at her relationship with Papa, which was unlike any other in Hemingway’s life.Join us for our...2021-07-1950 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #10 with Andre Dubus IIIAndre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog, Townie, and Gone So Long, talks about his one true Hemingway sentence from "Hills Like White Elephants."2021-07-0826 minOne True PodcastAlex Fernandez de Castro and Hugh Eakin on Joan Miró's The FarmOne True Podcast takes a deep dive into Joan Miró’s masterpiece and Hemingway’s beloved possession, The Farm. We welcome art historian Alex Fernandez de Castro and journalist Hugh Eakin to discuss the meaning, history, and legacy of this powerful and infinitely mysterious painting. In our two-part interview, we cover Miró’s evolution as an artist, his similarities and differences with Hemingway, and the crucial importance of this painting in his storied career. We also learn the mythology of how Hemingway bought The Farm, and ultimately, how it has now come to be housed in Washin...2021-06-281h 20One True PodcastAmanda Vaill on Gerald and Sara MurphyAmanda Vaill takes us to the French Riviera of the 1920s, drawing from her definitive book, Everybody Was So Young, to describe who Gerald and Sara Murphy were and what they meant to the artists they knew. Vaill discusses Fitzgerald’s poor behavior, Hemingway’s ambivalence to the rich, and Gerald’s own artistic efforts. Along the way, she suggests what gave the Murphys the enchanting quality that drew so many important figures into their circle. This episode was recorded on May 17, 2021.2021-06-0758 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #9 with Hideo YanagisawaHideo Yanagisawa shares his choice for Hemingway's one true sentence, which comes from a letter to Charles Scribner about The Old Man and the Sea.2021-05-2719 minOne True PodcastPaul Hendrickson on Hemingway's Boat, PilarWe welcome aboard Paul Hendrickson for a discussion about his poignant book on Hemingway’s beloved Pilar, the best-selling Hemingway’s Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost.Hendrickson explores Pilar as a significant constant in Hemingway's life and as an illuminating metaphor for Hemingway's work. During the interview, he also talks about the fascinating process of writing this searching book, one that includes a twenty-year gestation period, a meeting with Hemingway’s brother, and a pep talk from a former One True Podcast guest.This episode was recorded on March 26, 2021.2021-05-1749 minOne True PodcastMark Salter on How Hemingway Inspired Senator John McCainWe welcome Mark Salter, who served as Senator John McCain's advisor and speechwriter, to discuss the senator's lifelong passion for the works of Ernest Hemingway. From his first encounter with For Whom the Bell Tolls to his final consideration of the elegiac “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” Salter speaks movingly about Senator McCain's engagement with Hemingway’s writing and how it informed his ethics. Along the way, Salter talks about the art of speechwriting, Senator McCain as a potential literature scholar, and the way For Whom the Bell Tolls’s Robert Jordan emerged as a fictional character that was compl...2021-04-2641 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #8 with Elizabeth StroutPulitzer Prize-winning novelist Elizabeth Strout shares her one true sentence from Hemingway's "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place."2021-04-1523 minOne True PodcastKen Burns and Lynn Novick on Their Hemingway DocumentaryWe celebrate the new PBS documentary Hemingway by discussing this historic three-part series with its directors, Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Our conversation covers Hemingway’s singular gifts as an artist, his burden of celebrity, his many complicated relationships, and the tragedy that coursed through his life. Burns and Novick describe the challenges of bringing such an outsized life to screen, from the gathering of rare footage to assembling the distinct voices that illuminate his life and work. They also explain the process of selection, as well as the things left out. As a perfect co...2021-04-0550 minOne True PodcastLaura Godfrey on "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber"“The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber” is one of Hemingway’s greatest stories and one of his most controversial. Is the shocking death at the end of the story accidental manslaughter or cold-blooded murder? How should we read the ambiguous title? And what does Hemingway’s investigation into the psyches of the various characters – including the lion’s – reveal about this narrative and Hemingway’s craft? We are joined by the prominent Hemingway scholar Laura Godfrey to consider these questions and so much more. During our conversation, she discusses how issues of gender, race, class, and morality contribu...2021-03-1549 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #7 with Boris VejdovskyIn this episode, Boris Vejdovsky's true sentence from Hemingway's "Cat in the Rain" leads to an illuminating and wide-ranging conversation on narrative voice, American identity, and the bravery of simple language.2021-03-0423 minOne True PodcastCarol Armstrong on Paul CézanneErnest Hemingway never acknowledged the influence of any artist in any medium more generously than that of the French painter Paul Cézanne. From the 1920s, Hemingway’s character Nick Adams “wanted to write like Cézanne painted.” As an older writer, Hemingway visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art to gush about the painter's influence on his approach to writing. One True Podcast turns to Carol Armstrong, professor of Art History at Yale and a leading Cézanne scholar, to help us understand how appreciating the artist's work can illuminate Hemingway’s approach to writing. Armstrong discusses Cézanne’s hi...2021-02-2242 minOne True PodcastRoss K. Tangedal on Three Stories & Ten PoemsOne True Podcast welcomes scholar Ross Tangedal for a spirited discussion about Hemingway’s 1923 publication, Three Stories & Ten Poems, including the incendiary early effort, “Up in Michigan.” Tangedal guides us through this slim volume as an underrated portrait of the artist as a young man.What does this early fiction tell us about the young Hemingway? Are there signs of his later mastery? How should we value Hemingway as a poet? Join us for a discussion about this seldom-addressed book in Hemingway studies. Also note the performance of selected Hemingway fiction and poetry by some of the...2021-02-0139 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #6 with Paula McLainPaula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin, talks about her one true Hemingway sentence.2021-01-2121 minOne True PodcastAdrian Sparks on Playing PapaOne True Podcast continues its exploration of Hemingway on film by welcoming the legendary actor Adrian Sparks to discuss his iconic portrayal of Hemingway in Papa: Hemingway in Cuba. This film, released in 2015, made history as the first Hollywood production on the island since the trade embargo.Sparks describes the magical experience of using Hemingway’s actual typewriter as they filmed on location inside the Finca Vigía, the challenges of portraying such a complex man in the final years of his life, and the special relationship between Hemingway and the Cuban people, which he encountered first-hand whil...2021-01-1140 minOne True PodcastSuzanne del Gizzo on "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen"Happy Holidays from One True Podcast! Enjoy our first Holiday Spectacular as we ring in the season with Suzanne del Gizzo, scholar and editor of The Hemingway Review, to talk about Hemingway's decidedly un-festive short story, "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen."What was Hemingway getting at with that title? Why would he write such a macabre story? How can that story speak to us at the holidays? We find out in this interview as del Gizzo explains the story, the classic carol, and Hemingway’s grand design. Plus, we've sent a Hemingway-appropriate Christmas gift to our gu...2020-12-2147 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #5 with Mark P. OttMark P. Ott discusses his choice for Hemingway’s “one true sentence.”2020-12-1122 minOne True PodcastSandra Spanier and Miriam B. Mandel on the 1932-1934 LettersJoin us for an all-new One True Podcast as we welcome Sandra Spanier and Miriam B. Mandel to discuss the fifth volume of The Letters of Ernest Hemingway. The newest installment covers 1932 to 1934, where Hemingway is finishing his bullfighting manifesto, Death in the Afternoon, preparing his idiosyncratic book of short stories, Winner Take Nothing, and readying his chronicle of the hunt, Green Hills of Africa.Spanier and Mandel discuss Hemingway’s complicated personal life, his literary ambitions, his global travels, and his ever-changing network of friends and associates. Join us for a tour through Volume 5 of the Let...2020-11-3056 minOne True PodcastRobert K. Elder on Hemingway in ComicsOne True Podcast welcomes Robert K. Elder, author of the entertaining and fascinating Hemingway in Comics. In this episode, we talk about how popular artists have depicted Hemingway across various cultures and the similarities that exist between the style of comics and the iceberg principle.Elder examines how international artists have depicted, Disney-fied, satirized, and mythologized Hemingway in their representations of him as teenage soldier, Paris boozehound, and aging Cuban fisher. And, of course, Papa’s iconic image in that bulky turtleneck sweater makes an appearance.This episode was recorded on September 18, 2020.2020-11-0848 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #4 with Verna KaleOne True Podcast asks Verna Kale her choice for Hemingway’s “one true sentence.” Kale's sentence comes from the short story "Soldier's Home." Listen in!2020-10-2922 minOne True PodcastSeán Hemingway on The Old Man and the SeaOne True Podcast was privileged to welcome Seán Hemingway – editor of the Hemingway Library Editions and the grandson of the writer – to discuss the new edition of The Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway discusses the legacy of the novella, its composition, and the new material published in the book, including “Pursuit as Happiness,” a previously unpublished short story. Seán Hemingway also reflects on his grandfather’s life and career, providing a special perspective on Hemingway and his greatness. Make sure you listen to the entire show, for a rare (but necessary) appearance by the producer, Mic...2020-10-1944 minOne True PodcastJohn Irvin on The Garden of Eden FilmOne True Podcast welcomes award-winning director John Irvin to talk about his 2008 film adaptation of Hemingway's posthumous novel The Garden of Eden. Irvin discusses the role Hemingway played in his own artistic development, the challenges of adapting Hemingway, and The Garden of Eden’s controversial subject matter. He recalls experiences directing Jack Huston, Mena Suvari, Richard E. Grant, and Matthew Modine as well as the importance of filming on location at the Tanzania-Kenya border. Irvin also comments on the frustrating post-production phase of the film and its uneven reception. Opening clip: The Garden of Eden Tr...2020-09-2852 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #3 with Gail SinclairOne True Podcast asks Gail Sinclair her choice for Hemingway’s “one true sentence.”2020-09-1723 minOne True PodcastRobert W. Trogdon on the Early YearsOne True Podcast welcomes Robert W. Trogdon to discuss his beautiful new publication, the Library of America edition of Hemingway’s early writing, from 1918-1926. Trogdon discusses his role as a textual editor. He explains how he assembled Hemingway’s journalism and letters, and how his decision about punctuation in The Sun Also Rises will forever change how we read one of Hemingway’s most iconic sentences. The episode was recorded on August 26, 2020. 2020-09-0751 minOne True PodcastBob Vila on the Finca Vigía Preservation ProjectOne True Podcast understands that we all can’t get together at El Floridita and while away the afternoon telling stories and talking about Hemingway. However, we can serve up our first batch of Papa Dobles for our listeners, a doubleheader of episodes dealing with Hemingway, Cuba, and the valuable work of the Finca Vigía Foundation. In this first episode, we welcome Bob Vila, the legendary home repair TV personality to discuss his role in restoring and preserving the Hemingway house and its contents, as well as his upbringing in Cuba and south Florida. We hope you’ll...2020-08-1746 minOne True PodcastRepresentative Jim McGovern on the Finca Vigía FoundationOne True Podcast understands that we all can’t get together at El Floridita and while away the afternoon telling stories and talking about Hemingway. However, we can serve up our first batch of Papa Dobles for our listeners, a doubleheader of episodes dealing with Hemingway, Cuba, and the valuable work of the Finca Vigía Foundation.Earlier we met up with Bob Vila to talk about his preservation work (see that show in our line-up), whereas today we are joined by Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern, the most Hemingway-relevant member of the United States Congress. He discusses US-Cu...2020-08-1736 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #2 with Craig McDonaldOne True Podcast asks Craig McDonald his choice for Hemingway’s “one true sentence.”2020-08-0620 minOne True PodcastJoseph M. Flora on "The Battler"Join us as we talk with esteemed scholar Joe Flora about "The Battler," Hemingway's classic Nick Adams story from In Our Time.Flora, who is the author of the canonical Hemingway's Nick Adams and Ernest Hemingway: A Study of the Short Fiction and Past-President of the Hemingway Society, takes us into the Michigan woods to explore this compelling story about young Nick's encounter with a former prizefighter and his companion. Along the way, we discuss Hemingway's craft, his treatment of race, boxing culture, mental illness, and the coronavirus pandemic.This episode was recorded on March 25, 2020.2020-07-2744 minOne True PodcastOne True Sentence #1 with Carl P. EbyOne True Podcast asks Carl P. Eby his choice for Hemingway’s “one true sentence.”2020-07-2120 minOne True PodcastSusan K. Harris on Mark TwainIn Green Hills of Africa, the 1935 account of his safari, Hemingway made his most enduring statement of literary criticism. He wrote that "all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. [. . .] There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since."What does that mean? Is he right? Was there a strategy behind what seems to be a high compliment?One True Podcast welcomes Susan K. Harris to tackle this iconic quote and to gain a better sense of Hemingway's relationship to Twain and how they compare as craftsmen. En...2020-07-0746 minOne True PodcastElizabeth Outka on the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919In an episode that is unfortunately too timely, One True Podcast welcomes Elizabeth Outka to discuss the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, writers' responses to it, and the way it compares to our current experience with COVID-19.Dr. Outka discusses Hemingway’s engagement with the so-called “Spanish influenza” (in works like "A Natural History of the Dead") as well as modernism’s broader depiction of the worldwide devastation that ensued. The interview touches on Katherine Anne Porter, T.S. Eliot, Willa Cather, and others. As she does in her book Viral Modernism, Outka offers an insightful perspective that combines literary...2020-06-1649 minOne True PodcastJames Plath on "Big Two-Hearted River"One True Podcast is pleased to go down to the river with James Plath, Professor of English at Illinois Wesleyan University, to discuss one of Hemingway’s early masterpieces. Plath discusses the many dimensions that contribute to the enduring appeal of "Big Two-Hearted River" by responding to such question as: Who is Nick Adams? What is the importance of the northern Michigan setting? How does the presence and absence of the war function in the story? And, how does the story illustrate the “Hemingway style” that made him famous. In this wide-ranging interview, Plath also makes important connecti...2020-05-2652 minOne True PodcastJerry Fielder and Anne E. Havinga on the Karsh PhotographOn this episode, we welcome to the show Jerry Fielder and Anne E. Havinga to discuss Yousuf Karsh's portrait of Hemingway, which is without a doubt the most iconic image of the writer. Who was Karsh? What was the meeting like between him and Hemingway? Why does this photo, among all those taken of Hemingway (including the others Karsh took), hold such an important place? Our two guests are especially suited to respond to these and other questions. Fielder joins us as the Director of the Estate of Yousuf Karsh, and Havinga holds the Estrellita and...2020-05-0547 minOne True PodcastAndrew Farah on Hemingway's BrainOn this episode of One True Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Andrew Farah, author of Hemingway’s Brain, who argues that Hemingway was misdiagnosed and suffered from dementia in his later years. With a perspective and base of knowledge no other commentator has ever offered, Dr. Farah chronicles Hemingway’s lifetime of mental illness, addiction, and accidents, identifying how a 21st-century doctor would have had the technology and the medicine to rehabilitate Hemingway. This episode was recorded on February 3, 2020.2020-04-1349 minOne True PodcastLesley Blume on The Sun Also RisesLesley Blume joins One True Podcast to discuss Everybody Behaves Badly, her bestselling profile of the background of The Sun Also Rises. Blume talks about Paris and Pamplona in the 1920s, the actual people who inspired Hemingway’s unforgettable characters, and the impact the novel has had on literature and culture for almost a century. Join us for a lively conversation with the award-winning journalist and enjoy our re-examination of Hemingway’s masterpiece!This episode was recorded on March 2, 2020.2020-03-2346 minOne True PodcastAmbassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis on CubaOne True Podcast continues its exploration of the places that defined Hemingway and that Hemingway helped define. We return to Cuba, joined by Jeffrey DeLaurentis, the man President Obama nominated to serve as ambassador to Cuba. During the discussion, Ambassador DeLaurentis draws from his personal experiences with the Cuban government and Cuban citizens, as well as his decades of international experience, in order to provide a rich analysis of the state of this complex international relationship.This episode was recorded on July 29, 2019.2020-03-0234 minOne True PodcastScott Donaldson on the Iceberg TheoryOn this episode we welcome Scott Donaldson, the legendary Hemingway biographer, to discuss the iceberg principle of writing. He explores the function of Hemingway’s iceberg style, examines various examples of it at work, and considers potential influences on Hemingway's "trademark" style of omission. As a literary biographer and one of the most perceptive and prolific living scholars of American literature, Donaldson illuminates Hemingway and his artistic technique.This episode was recorded on July 28, 2019.2020-02-1154 minOne True PodcastMark Thompson on the Italian Front of WWIIn this episode, the brilliant historian Mark Thompson, author of the magisterial The White War, separates fact from fiction as he analyzes Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, including its epic depiction of the devastating Caporetto retreat. In writing his great war novel, Hemingway dramatically recreated the Italian Front of World War I by consulting histories, maps, novels, and others’ firsthand accounts. He also drew from his own traumatic experiences in northern Italy in 1918. Thompson turns his attention to the historical context of the fiction, focusing on the “forgotten front” of Italy during World War I. He add...2020-01-2048 minOne True PodcastMarc Dudley on RaceOne True Podcast took the occasion of Toni Morrison’s death to consider the way race emerges as a key factor in Hemingway’s writing. In this episode, we turn to one of the most prominent Hemingway scholars on this issue, North Carolina State’s Marc Dudley.During the interview, Dudley reflects on Morrison’s searing criticisms of Hemingway’s treatment of minority characters, and extends his thoughts to consider how other ethnicities – such as Native Americans – function in Hemingway’s work. Hemingway emerges both as a writer of his time, with all of its limitations and prejudices, and...2019-12-2650 minOne True PodcastScholar's Spotlight: Susan Beegel on the Maine MarlinIn this episode, the inimitable Susan Beegel joins producer Michael Von Cannon for a special "Scholar's Spotlight" episode.Beegel tells Michael about her article "Fish Tale: A History of the L.C. Bates Museum Marlin, Taxidermist Fred C.N. Parke, and Ernest Hemingway," which appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of the Hemingway Review. Listen in as she unlocks the mysteries surrounding a taxidermied Hemingway marlin that she came across in a museum in Hinckley, Maine. As Beegel explores the intertwined story of Hemingway and Parke, she dives into the culture of deep-sea fishing along the F...2019-12-1737 minOne True PodcastStacy Keach on Playing HemingwayStacy Keach joins the show to reflect on his legendary career, particularly his portrayal of Hemingway on the stage, in the classic miniseries, and in his audio recording of short stories. Keach compares the art of acting to the act of writing and gets to the heart of Hemingway’s knack for conveying emotion in spare prose. He reflects on the many adaptations of Hemingway novels and his friendship with George C. Scott and John Huston. He also offers insights into Hemingway’s psychology and destructive habits. As a special bonus, hear Keach's brilliant read of our “...2019-10-2142 minOne True PodcastAlex Vernon on WarAlex Vernon joins the show to discuss one of Hemingway’s major themes: men at war. He penetrates the myth of Hemingway-as-warmonger, isolates some of the writer's most evocative war passages, and even reflects on his own war experiences in the Middle East. Vernon also tracks Hemingway’s development from the young eyewitness of World War I to the keen partisan of the Spanish Civil War, and finally to the solemn commentator of WWII journalism. In pursuit of Hemingway’s place in the canon of war literature, this episode incorporates a lively discussion of Crane, O’Brien, Stendhal...2019-10-0147 minOne True PodcastJulia Sweig on CubaThis episode is a journey into the culture and history of Cuba. Given the undeniable importance of Cuba in Hemingway’s life and legacy, Hemingway readers will learn a lot more about it from one of the preeminent scholars, thinkers, and writers on Cuba, Dr. Julia E. Sweig.Dr. Sweig discusses US-Cuba relations, their tumultuous history, her meetings with Fidel Castro, and her sense of what we might expect--and hope for--in the coming years. The interview touches on issues of immigration, terrorism, and contemporary politics as we explore the past, present, and future of our Cuban neighbors....2019-09-1044 minOne True PodcastJames McGrath Morris on John Dos PassosIn this episode, we explore Hemingway and John Dos Passos, their service in the American Red Cross during World War I, their writing careers, and their doomed friendship. In order to do so, we chat with the man who wrote the book on it. James McGrath Morris’s The Ambulance Drivers chronicles the highs and lows of their relationship and their legacies. As well, Morris talks about the mystery surrounding the identity of the Italian soldier who saved the young Hemingway’s life.This episode was recorded on June 12, 2019.2019-08-2044 minOne True PodcastKirk Curnutt on F. Scott FitzgeraldToday's show places Ernest Hemingway alongside one of his artistic contemporaries: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Part friendship and part rivalry, their complex relationship has all the twists and turns of a good novel about two characters that, at least on the surface, seem vastly different. There's some truth to these differences but, like a good story, there's a fair share of fiction. We sit down with Kirk Curnutt to set the record straight. During the episode, we draw the distinction between myth and reality to learn more about their lives, their art, and their relationship. This episode was r...2019-07-261h 02