1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:12,760 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. Hello, and welcome 3 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: to the podcast. I'm Holly Fry and I'm Tracy. You 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,960 Speaker 1: Wilson Tracy. Everybody's heard the name or his Hemingway. I 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: think most people have at least heard of him. Yeah, 6 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 1: they may not have read his work, or maybe they did. Uh. 7 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: And his life is pretty well known and well documented 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:29,800 Speaker 1: because he was so famous even in his own time. 9 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,879 Speaker 1: But his brother is another story. But Lester, and that 10 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: has spelled the same way that the city in England 11 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,199 Speaker 1: has spelt, but it has pronounced. Lester similarly, much younger 12 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: than his famous sibling, has quite a story of his own, 13 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: and it is, as you'll see, a life very much 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,199 Speaker 1: lived in relation to his brother. In some ways, his 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: identity growing up was I'm Hemingway's little brother. We're going 16 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: to talk about the biography that he wrote about Ernest, 17 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: and really anything about himself is through the lens of 18 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: how his brother influenced him or how it related to 19 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: his brother. It really was not until after Ernest Hemingway's 20 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,760 Speaker 1: death that Lester made his boldest moves in life. Uh. 21 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: And we're going to talk about all that as a 22 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: heads up, as you may or may not know if 23 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: you know any details about Hemingway's life and the Hemingway family, 24 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 1: there are going to be several instances of suicide that 25 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: we talked about in today's show, not in great detail, 26 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: but they do come up as elements that happened along 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: the way. So when Lester was born on April first, 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: nineteen fifteen, his brother Ernest, who would become just wildly famous, 29 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: was already sixteen years old. The family was living in 30 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: the Oak Park suburb of Chicago at the time. The 31 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: oldest of the Hemingway siblings was their sister Marceline, who 32 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: was born a year before Ernest in They also had 33 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: two more sisters, Ursula, born in nineteen o two and Madeleine, 34 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,880 Speaker 1: who was called Sonny, born in nineteen o four. Another daughter, Carol, 35 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: came along in nineteen eleven, so Lester was the baby 36 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: of the family, also unplanned. His father was Clarence Edmund's Hemingway, 37 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: and his mother was Grace Ernestine Hall. The Hemingways were 38 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: supporters of the arts and of missionary efforts, and Clarence 39 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: founded a local chapter of the Agazez Society, which was 40 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: focused on collecting and studying natural objects. They were also 41 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: very interested in science in the natural world. Clarence was 42 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: a doctor and he worked for several insurance companies as 43 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: their medical examiner while also leading the obstetrics department at 44 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: Oak Park Hospital. There's a moment in the biography Lester 45 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,119 Speaker 1: wrote that he was also working for a dairy as 46 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: like their physical exam guy for their employees. And Grace 47 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: had been on the cusp of what could have potentially 48 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: been a pretty successful career as a singer when she 49 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: decided to give that up and instead Mary Clarence and 50 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: start a family, and that is something that, according to Lester, 51 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: naged at her for the rest of her life and 52 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: she wondered what could have been. According to Lester's biography 53 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,359 Speaker 1: of his brother, which we'll talk about later in the episode, 54 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: Arnest was very much a father figure to his much 55 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: younger sibling. Ernest did everything from changing lester stipers to 56 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: teaching him how to shoot and fish and fight. He 57 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: also gave his little brother one of a lot of 58 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: nicknames that he would use throughout their relationship. That was 59 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: the Baron. Grace was also assisted by a number of 60 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: nurses and servants. She was not particularly interested in the 61 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 1: more domestic aspects of family life. They were able to 62 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: afford help, sometimes hiring students on summer breaks to assist 63 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: to them. Yeah, Grace was not so interested in cooking 64 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: and housework. And I mean, if you can afford help 65 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: to do then you don't like to do it. Go 66 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: you h. In his very young years, Lester saw his 67 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: older brother start his career as a writer, taking his 68 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: first job as a police reporter at the Kansas City 69 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: Star through a family connection, and then Ernest moved quickly 70 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: on to joining the American Red Crossed Field Service to 71 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: join the war effort during World War One. Ernest had 72 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: actually wanted to go straight into the war from school, 73 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: but their father forbade it. Uh. It is very clear 74 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: through all of this and really the entire biography that 75 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: he wrote, that Lester idolized his big brother. Ernest was 76 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:17,599 Speaker 1: injured by a mortar shell while distributing cigarettes and chocolate 77 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: to the men on the front lines in Italy during 78 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: the war. He managed to carry an injured soldier on 79 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: his back to the aid station before he passed out. 80 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: And that was a feat that was made even more 81 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: impressive because he was hit by two bullets from machine 82 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 1: gun along the way. His legs had also taken most 83 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: of the blast from the mortar. For years, this incident 84 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: grew in its telling in public circles, and it was 85 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: something that Ernest seemed to even encourage in not correcting 86 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 1: any of them. But Lester, in writing about it, set 87 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: the record straight that his brother had not taken hundreds 88 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: of bullets to the growing or had any kind of 89 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: mental or emotional breakdown as a result of this incident. 90 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: Ernest later referenced and kind of fueled this rumor that 91 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: his genitalia had been irreversibly injured in the writing of 92 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: his character Jake in his novel The Sun Also Rises, 93 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,599 Speaker 1: So he definitely kind of enjoyed the oversized versions of 94 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,359 Speaker 1: this story that went around. Ernest was seriously injured and 95 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: he required several months to recover, but he did return home. 96 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,920 Speaker 1: He was hailed as a war hero, and Lester would 97 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: later write of it quote, it was pretty glorious stuff 98 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,839 Speaker 1: being kid brother to the guy who had personally helped 99 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,040 Speaker 1: make the world safe for democracy. When Ernest and his 100 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: first wife, Hadley Richardson traveled to Europe, Lester wrote him 101 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: what he described as fan mail that struck me as 102 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: so interesting that he calls it that, but clearly very 103 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:44,720 Speaker 1: adoring of his brother. In the fall of Lester's grandfather 104 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: on the Hemmingway side passed away, and it was the 105 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: first of many events that culminated in a depression for 106 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,960 Speaker 1: their father, Clarence. Soon after, Ernest wrote to tell the 107 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: family that he and his wife were separated amicably and 108 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 1: they were getting a divorce. This was something Clarence was 109 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,920 Speaker 1: very upset by. He told Lester, who was just a 110 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:04,720 Speaker 1: little over eleven years old at the time, quote, you know, 111 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: of course, that your brother has brought great shame on 112 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: the family by divorcing Hadley, don't you. Ernest's rapid second 113 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: marriage to Pauline Peiffer, who became pregnant soon after the wedding, 114 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 1: was another blow. Even though the Hemmingways loved Pauline and 115 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: we're happy to welcome a new grandchild, Ernest sort of 116 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: insulted his father, who, as we said earlier, was an obstetrician, 117 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: by asking kind of pointed questions about the quality of 118 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 1: the hospital where he was working. Uh As he and 119 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 1: Pauline try to decide where they were going to have 120 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: the baby. Yeah, it's interesting. There is a letter in 121 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: this biography that Lester publishes. He doesn't publish any of 122 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:44,919 Speaker 1: his brother's letters, which we'll talk about in a moment, 123 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: But the letter that Clarence wrote back to him is 124 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: very polite and he kind of is like, oh, yeah, 125 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 1: the hospitals here might not do for you. Maybe you 126 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,919 Speaker 1: would be better off having the baby elsewhere. And it 127 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: sounds very polite and not upset. But Lester is very 128 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:05,039 Speaker 1: clear that his father was really injured and heartbroken that 129 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: the quality of the care that he was part of 130 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:12,120 Speaker 1: was questioned in this way. Additionally, there was some ongoing 131 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: strife between Earnest and Clearance. Even though his eldest son 132 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: was making a name for himself as a writer and 133 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: was lauded as one of the great literary voices of 134 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: the time, by this point, Clarence and Grace just didn't 135 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: understand Earnest's work, and they often did not like it 136 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: when they read it. That, coupled with their ongoing dismay 137 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: about earnest life choices, had really put a strain on 138 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: the father son relationship. Than his played out. Clarence had 139 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: to run a bad luck he had invested in property 140 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: in Florida, planning it as a retirement destination, but then 141 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: the bottom dropped out of the real estate market in Florida. 142 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: The property was significantly devalued. The Hemingways owed a lot 143 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: more on it than it was worth, and Clarence was 144 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 1: not going to be able to set up a retirement 145 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: practice there. Several months later, Clarence was diagnosed with beauties. 146 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: This was something he had suspected for a while, but 147 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: he had put off getting tested. It's one of those 148 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: the cobbler's children have no shoes situation. He is one 149 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: of those doctors that did not want to go to 150 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: the doctor. Uh. These events all accumulated and Lester described 151 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: in his writing Clearance having a quote serious loss of morale, 152 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: and it was something he also called an emotional illness. 153 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: On the morning of December six, Clearance burned a few 154 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: of his personal items and papers, and then he retired 155 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: to an upstairs bedroom and he shot himself in the 156 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: midst of the households grief and turmoil. Ernest had traveled 157 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: in to manage the funeral arrangements and some other business. 158 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: He told Lester, who at this point was thirteen, that 159 00:08:42,080 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: a he should not cry that the Hemingways did not cry. 160 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: It's just kind of a horrible emotional burden to give 161 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: a kid and be that he wanted Lester to get 162 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: the gun that their father had used to end his 163 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: life from the police and have it shipped to him. 164 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: Ernest Hemingway wanted that weapon. So you might think that 165 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: something like that would sour the younger brother's admiration for 166 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 1: his older sibling, but this was not the case at all. 167 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: A few years later, as the movie adaptation of the 168 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,720 Speaker 1: Sun Also Rises was coming out, Lester visited his big 169 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: brother in Piggott, Arkansas, where Pauline's family lived. It went 170 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: and saw the movie and reported back about it to 171 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: Ernest and then went hunting with him. And this whole 172 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: trip in Lester's account, reads as though Ernest was keenly 173 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: aware that his brother needed somebody to step into the 174 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: shoes of their late father, and the two of them 175 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: talked about their family. Ernest made sure that Lester had 176 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: enough money. Yeah, it's interesting. Ernest did not want to 177 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: go see the movie, but he didn't want to hear 178 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: if it was okay, So that's why he sent his mother. Uh. 179 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: And this relationship, to be clear, was also something that 180 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 1: benefited Ernest. He really liked having someone in his life 181 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,440 Speaker 1: that looked up to him. Lester later wrote, quote, Ernest 182 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: was never very content with life unless he had a 183 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 1: spiritual kid brother nearby. He needed someone he could show 184 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: off too as well as teach. He needed uncritical admiration. 185 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:07,959 Speaker 1: If the kid brother could show a little worshipful awe, 186 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,439 Speaker 1: that was a distinct aid in the relationship. I made 187 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: a good kid brother when I was around, but I 188 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: couldn't be around regularly. We'll talk more about the relationship 189 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: between the Hemingway brothers as Lester grew into adulthood after 190 00:10:21,559 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: we take a quick sponsor break. As the years went on, 191 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: Lester and Ernest remained close, although other friends filled that 192 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: kid brother role for the writer. When Lester was busy 193 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:40,680 Speaker 1: with school, the younger brother joined his brother on the 194 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 1: sea and Key West when the novelists took delivery of 195 00:10:43,480 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: his famous fishing boat pillar in and during their trips 196 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: out on the water, they continued their long talks. This 197 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: was something that they would do for years and years. 198 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: It was a board pillar that they discussed the fact 199 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: that Lester also wanted to be a professional writer, just 200 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: like his older brother, and the shared knowledge that anything 201 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:04,640 Speaker 1: the younger Hemingway wrote would be compared to Ernest's work. 202 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: Everything you do, Ernest told his brother, they'll say you're 203 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: writing on my reputation. You know that, don't you. Ultimately, 204 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: Ernest was supportive of Lester's desire to write and told 205 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:18,319 Speaker 1: him he could give him some advice, but he did 206 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 1: not want to help him in any way beyond that. 207 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: Over the years, he offered up some tips, like, if 208 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,080 Speaker 1: you can't make up stories, you shouldn't try to write 209 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,920 Speaker 1: a real one remembered as always sort of flat compared 210 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: to a made up one. Yeah, perfectly happy to do 211 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: all that advice, but he didn't want anybody to be 212 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 1: able to say that Lester hadn't earned his place as 213 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 1: a writer. He also advised that Lester should do what 214 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: he had done, which would start out in newspapers. He 215 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:47,439 Speaker 1: felt like that was a really good way to develop 216 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: your own voice and also to basically like get in 217 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:52,360 Speaker 1: the habit of having to write all the time, whether 218 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,079 Speaker 1: you felt like it or not, And that was precisely 219 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: what the younger Hemingway brother did. Lester started working for 220 00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: the Chicago Go Daily News, writing regional news and fielding 221 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: questions from his co workers about his famous brother. In 222 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:09,960 Speaker 1: ninety three, almost twenty years after the two brothers had 223 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: started talking about Lester becoming a writer, he published his 224 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: first novel, The Sound of the Trumpet, and that was 225 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,400 Speaker 1: based on his experiences in Europe during the Second World War. 226 00:12:19,160 --> 00:12:22,760 Speaker 1: It was compared in the press to uh to Ernest's work, 227 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: and often was deemed derivative and heavily influenced by Ernest Hemingway. 228 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: Lester wrote several other books that also we existed, but 229 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: when unpublished, we didn't mention that he went to Europe 230 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:38,200 Speaker 1: during the Second World War. And there's a reason, which 231 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 1: is that Lester's life is not documented in any way 232 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: as well as his brothers. It kind of comes up 233 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: in these these oh yes, of course they went to Europe. 234 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: It was in my book. But he's so busy always 235 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: capturing his brother's life that he never really seemed to 236 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: record a lot about his own. Lester, for example, married twice. 237 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: I couldn't tell you that eights because I could not 238 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: find them, despite looking around very energetically about it. His 239 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,199 Speaker 1: first wife was Patricia said. The couple had two sons together, 240 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: Peter and Jacob, who went by Jake, although that marriage 241 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 1: did not last. He next married Doris May Dunning, a 242 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: marriage which produced two daughters, Anne and Hillary, and he 243 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:19,600 Speaker 1: was married to Doris for the rest of his life. 244 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:24,439 Speaker 1: So documenting Ernest Hemingway's life was something that Lester said 245 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: was his brother's idea. Ernest wanted quote, somebody who really 246 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: knew me to write a book about me, and Lester 247 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: took up that challenge, writing about his brother's quote absolute integrity, 248 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:39,320 Speaker 1: both emotional and aesthetic. But the famous Hemingway did not 249 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 1: want a biography to be published about him while he 250 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 1: was still alive, so Lester, who worked on the project 251 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,200 Speaker 1: for some time, just held onto that manuscript. On July two, 252 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: Ernest Hemingway was found dead in the foyer of the 253 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: home in Idaho that he shared with his fourth wife Mary. 254 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,280 Speaker 1: The obituary, which ran in The New York Times, printed 255 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:03,600 Speaker 1: Mary's statement quote, Mr Hemingway accidentally killed himself while cleaning 256 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: a gun this morning at seven thirty am. No time 257 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 1: has been set for the funeral services, which will be private. 258 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:13,080 Speaker 1: But the obituary also noted that Ernest had been treated 259 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: at the Mayo Clinic in recent months and quoted a 260 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: friend of the authors from the police force is saying 261 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: that friends had relayed that in the time leading up 262 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: to his death, Hemingway quote looked thinner and acted depressed. 263 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 1: The coroner also gave a quote in this obituary story 264 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: that stated, quote, I can only say at this stage 265 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:34,040 Speaker 1: that the wound was self inflicted. The wound was in 266 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: the head. I couldn't say it was accidental, and I 267 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: couldn't say it was suicide. There wasn't anybody there. Lester's 268 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: book was published eight months after Ernest's death, titled Simply 269 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: My Brother, Ernest Hemingway, and it was dedicated to his 270 00:14:47,920 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: wife Doris. The opening of the book offers so much 271 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: insight into the reverence for Ernest that his brother had. 272 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: It reads quote. The conversations recorded in this biography are 273 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: as accurate as I could make them. I did not 274 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: have a tape recorder, and I do not possess total recall, 275 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: but my own notes, ship's log and memory enabled me 276 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: to reproduce many conversations. In writing dialogue, Ernest polished, edited, 277 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: and was the supreme master of this art. In presenting 278 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: earnest conversations, I have been mindful of the obligations of 279 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: a brother, a friend, and a biographer. Ernest did not 280 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: favor the publication of his letters, so they have not 281 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: been reproduced here. He regarded all biographies as unlucky during 282 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,880 Speaker 1: the subject's lifetime, yet at the end of the last 283 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: letter I had from him, he wished me luck with 284 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: this book. Lester acknowledged the version of his brother's death 285 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: that Ernest's wife Mary had shared with the press, that 286 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: it may have been an accident rather than an intentional 287 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: effort to end his own life. But Lester also attributes 288 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: full intention to his brother's actions. He wrote really candidly 289 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,840 Speaker 1: about his brother's depression, his sadness at having lost several friends, 290 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 1: and during that time at the Mayo Clinic, he was 291 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: undergoing elector shock treatments. He also notes in the text 292 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: that Ernest was, unlike any author before him, mourned globally 293 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: as though he had been a statesman rather than a writer. 294 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: Lester's biography of his brother was well received, and it 295 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: is still read today by Hemingley enthusiasts. And it is 296 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: definitely an adoring picture of the man, and it is 297 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: filled with a lot of stories about them hunting and 298 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: fishing together, a lot of details regarding all of that 299 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: not the best read for people who might be squeamish 300 00:16:28,760 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: about the details of such activities. Okay, so we're going 301 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: to go ahead and stop for a sponsored break, because 302 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: after his brother's iconic life had ended, Lester made some 303 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:40,680 Speaker 1: really bold decisions of his own. We will get to 304 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:51,160 Speaker 1: that right after a sponsored break. Okay, this is gonna 305 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: sound like we edited two different episodes together because it's 306 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: a little bit of a track jump. But we have 307 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,960 Speaker 1: to pause for a moment here in the story of 308 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 1: Lester Hemmingway's life. We did not edit two episodes together 309 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:09,400 Speaker 1: accidentally to discuss bird poop. Before synthetic fertilizers were commercially 310 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: produced in any kind of cost effective way, the name 311 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: of the game and soil fertilization was guano. All kinds 312 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: of natural fertilizers had been used since the beginning of time. Manure, compost, 313 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 1: and river silt have all been used to enrich soil 314 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:27,439 Speaker 1: to produce crops for centuries. We talked about some of 315 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: this in our episode on the discovery of phosphorus. Yeah, 316 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:37,400 Speaker 1: and guano. In this case, sea bird excrements rather than 317 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: bats was used in the Andes and the proving coast 318 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:43,359 Speaker 1: as well as other areas to enrich the soil. It 319 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:45,639 Speaker 1: became really coveted by a lot of countries in the 320 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, and this is a significant part of several conflicts. 321 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 1: The First and Second Wars of the Pacific, which started 322 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty four and eighteen seventy nine, respectively, were 323 00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,439 Speaker 1: fought over occupation and exploitation of South American tier tories 324 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: that were rich and a lot of resources, one of 325 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: them being guano. But before either of those conflicts, in 326 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty six, the US Congress past the Guano Islands Act. 327 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 1: Sea birds, particularly in places where their colonies have been 328 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: allowed to flourish without humans getting in the way, produce 329 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: a lot of very rich fertilizer. The U s and 330 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,080 Speaker 1: the eighteen fifties did not have a whole lot of 331 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,399 Speaker 1: islands with productive sea bird populations to fill this need, 332 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: so this federal law was intended to generate territory that 333 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: would give them access to this natural resource. The acts 334 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: opening reads as follows, quote, whenever any citizen of the 335 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,840 Speaker 1: United States discovers a deposit of guano on any island, rock, 336 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: or key not within the lawful jurisdiction of any other 337 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: government and not occupied by the citizens of any other government, 338 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: and takes peaceable possession thereof and occupies the same. Such island, rock, 339 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: or key may, at the discretion of the President, be 340 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,240 Speaker 1: considered as appertaining to the United States. According to this Act, 341 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,160 Speaker 1: the discoverer of such a spot is required to notify 342 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: the Department of State of the possession and provide proof 343 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: that all of the conditions of the law are met. 344 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,199 Speaker 1: If the person who discovers the guano resource were to 345 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: die before all this paperwork and proof is taken care of, 346 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,200 Speaker 1: his widow or heirs can follow through and they will 347 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 1: get credit for the discovery, as well as rights to 348 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: live there on this this declared land, and to harvest 349 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,639 Speaker 1: and sell the guano there. The claimed land and guano 350 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 1: shipment is also to be protected by the US. And 351 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: I am using present tense language here because this federal 352 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:36,919 Speaker 1: law still stands. We're going to get back to this 353 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:39,720 Speaker 1: bird boot, but for a moment, we're gonna go back 354 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:43,640 Speaker 1: to Lester Hemingway. The publication of my brother Ernest Hemingway 355 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: made a bit of money for Lester, and he had 356 00:19:45,960 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: some plans for how to use it. He had gotten 357 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,679 Speaker 1: twenty five thousand dollars from Playboy magazine to publish the 358 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,199 Speaker 1: story as a serial, and the biography was really successful, 359 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,640 Speaker 1: eventually being translated into eleven languages. Everyone it seemed one 360 00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:02,560 Speaker 1: of the inside story of the Hemingway family and its 361 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,880 Speaker 1: most famous member. On July four, four, Lester Hemingway took 362 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: all of the proceeds from the book and made his 363 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: own history by creating his own country. He floated a 364 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: raft made of bamboo. It was also fortified. We'll talk 365 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 1: about that in a minute, to a spot eight miles 366 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: that's twelve point eight kilometers to the southwest of Jamaica, 367 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: making that international waters. The raft, which was eight by 368 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,440 Speaker 1: thirty ft or two point four by nine point one meters, 369 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: was then anchored with a Ford engine block. It was 370 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: fortified with pipes and steel, and Lester Hemingway declared that 371 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 1: this raft was an island. He further claimed that half 372 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: of this island was the brand new country of New Atlantis. 373 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: But the other half, you said, was claimed for the 374 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: United States under the Guano Islands Act, which at that 375 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 1: point was more than a hundred years old. The Guano 376 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: Islands Act made it possible for Lester to gain the 377 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:58,880 Speaker 1: protection of the U. S. Government over his new country, 378 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: simply because his man made island was so small that 379 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: there would be no way to really coordinate off as 380 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 1: two separate entities in any sort of practical sense. So, uh, 381 00:21:08,840 --> 00:21:12,879 Speaker 1: he wrote a constitution for New Atlantis sort of. He 382 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:16,120 Speaker 1: actually just used the exact wording of the U. S. Constitution, 383 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: but he subbed in the name New Atlantis everywhere the 384 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: original document had said United States. Seven months after claiming 385 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: this new territory, which was a republic, Lester held elections. 386 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: The resident voters of New Atlantis were Lester, his wife Doris, 387 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:36,160 Speaker 1: their two daughters, pr specialist Edward K. Moss, and Julius Celini, 388 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:40,119 Speaker 1: who was Moss's assistant. Lester was elected president in a 389 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: unanimous vote. And then all of this, the Declaration of 390 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,760 Speaker 1: New Atlantis, the elections, Lester's constitution, all of that was 391 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: covered in the press. Lester gave quotes to reporters that 392 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: his new country was peaceful and had no intention of 393 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:54,640 Speaker 1: threatening its neighbors, that he did not know of any 394 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: laws forbidding starting your own country. Yeah, I feel like 395 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: we should all so note that two of the constituents 396 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:06,359 Speaker 1: who voted in that presidential election. His daughters were little 397 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: kids at the time, so voting rights were converted at 398 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 1: a very young age. There was also currency for New Atlantis, 399 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 1: which was, in case you're wondering, named after the Francis 400 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: Bacon idea. New Atlantis commerce was done in scruples, which 401 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: appeared to be just items scavenged from the sea, such 402 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: as fishhooks and shark teeth, etcetera. The joke there is 403 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:32,320 Speaker 1: that Lester Hemingway thought that if you were rich, you 404 00:22:32,320 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: should have a lot of scruples. Uh. You could not 405 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,199 Speaker 1: gamble though on New Atlantis that was for voting against 406 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: the law. Lester's wife Doris, stitched the country's flag, which 407 00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:45,240 Speaker 1: featured a gold equilateral triangle pointing down on a royal 408 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: blue background. It also had a circle of royal blue 409 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 1: in the center of the triangle. There were actually several 410 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: of these flags, because some had blown away in the 411 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 1: wind and whatnot. There is one remaining to this day. 412 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:00,040 Speaker 1: And then there were the stamps. New Atlantis design in 413 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: print and sold stamps at five different values. President Lyndon B. 414 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:06,920 Speaker 1: Johnson was featured on the one hundred cents stamp, which 415 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,359 Speaker 1: resulted in a thank you note from the White House. 416 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: And all of this sounds a little bit silly. It 417 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,640 Speaker 1: is easy to imagine that an eccentric with a bit 418 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: of privilege and some money was just mucking around with 419 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 1: this idea of starting a country, or that it was 420 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: some sort of publicity stunt for his writing. And he 421 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: did admit that he was motivated by fund and the 422 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:28,679 Speaker 1: desire to see if he could make money off of 423 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: starting a new government, But there was also a scientific 424 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: goal for the fledgling Republic of New Atlantis. Lester Hemingway 425 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 1: wanted the island to become home to the International Marine 426 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: Research Society. They could do science work there and four 427 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,280 Speaker 1: sales of stamps to finance that endeavor, and he also 428 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,640 Speaker 1: wanted his country and any money that they made out 429 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: of stamp sales to be used to protect nearby phishing resources. 430 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,080 Speaker 1: In the autumn of nineteen sixty five, Lester worked with 431 00:23:56,119 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: the librarian at the University of Texas Humanities Research Center 432 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 1: and Austin to create an exhibit about his new country, 433 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: including what maybe the only copy of the constitution, as 434 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: well as a number of other artifacts. This collection remains 435 00:24:09,320 --> 00:24:12,639 Speaker 1: at the University of Texas at Austin Harry Ransom Humanities 436 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:16,719 Speaker 1: Research Center. Yeah, some of those pieces they have photographs 437 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: of online. But New Atlantis, you may have noticed, you 438 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,120 Speaker 1: don't have to memorize it in a list of countries, 439 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: and that is because it was a short lived project. 440 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: Its demise was not that the Universal Postal Union refused 441 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: to acknowledge its stamps, although that was a very real problem, 442 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: But the culprit here was nature itself. New Atlantis, which 443 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 1: Lester had been hoping to expand and further fortify, was 444 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: destroyed in a storm in nineteen sixty six before he 445 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: could make improvements on it. After the demise of his 446 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: little country, Lester continued to write. He started working as 447 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:54,119 Speaker 1: a freelance journalist, writing about fishing in the outdoors, activities 448 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,199 Speaker 1: he had learned about from his brother. He wrote for 449 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 1: various periodicals and also started his own newsletter, The Biminy 450 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:04,440 Speaker 1: out Island News, which he described as the smallest newspaper 451 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,240 Speaker 1: in the world. Yeah. In one quote he said something like, 452 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: you would need two copies to wrap a piece of fish. 453 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:14,720 Speaker 1: Very little. As he aged, Lester also let his beard 454 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: grow out, and to a lot of people, he started 455 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,120 Speaker 1: to look like the spitting image of his deceased brother 456 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: during this time. In his mid sixties, Lester had a 457 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 1: heart attack and then was diagnosed with diabetes, which led 458 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: to a number of surgeries, including having artificial arteries put 459 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: into his legs. His health continued to decline, and his doctors, 460 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 1: noting his poor circulation, suggested that he have both of 461 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: his legs amputated. This was more than he was willing 462 00:25:40,359 --> 00:25:43,280 Speaker 1: to consider, and like his father and his brother before him, 463 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,919 Speaker 1: Lester Hemingway's medical issues brought on depression, and at the 464 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,640 Speaker 1: age of sixty seven, in September of nine, Lester Hemingway 465 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 1: ended his life via a self inflicted gunshot wound to 466 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: the head. I had not heard about Lester until fairly recently, 467 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: and I was immediately fascinated. Yeah, because it is a 468 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: story of someone who seems very um, I don't know 469 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: if contented is the right word, but comfortable living in 470 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: the shadow of a much more famous sibling, and even 471 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,120 Speaker 1: to the point that they're willing to pursue the same 472 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:17,959 Speaker 1: career knowing it will count against them in some ways. 473 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: But then once Ernest is gone, Lester does some really 474 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: fascinating things of his own. Uh, He's an interesting dude, 475 00:26:28,040 --> 00:26:30,159 Speaker 1: and I think, uh, a lot of people don't know 476 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: about him. I think people that are really into the 477 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: hemmingways and their family history and earnest probably have an 478 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 1: inkling of him. But uh, Lester gets a little bit 479 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: lost in the historical record. So that's why I wanted 480 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: to talk about him, because I love the story of 481 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: an eccentric and I love the idea of starting one's 482 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 1: own country, even if it does not go tremendously well. Uh, 483 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,159 Speaker 1: it is such a fun idea though. Yeah, do you 484 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 1: have a listener mail for us? I do. It's much 485 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:03,119 Speaker 1: more upbeat, although it does start out with the subject 486 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,879 Speaker 1: line heartbroken. Oh yeah, I saw that subject line and 487 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:10,680 Speaker 1: like I braced for impact. Yeah, it's and it turns 488 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: out to be lovely. It is from our listener page. 489 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,199 Speaker 1: Who writes, Hello, Tracy and Holly. I've been listening to 490 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: Missed in History for years now, but I've fallen behind 491 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: after returning to school and reallocating a lot of my 492 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,800 Speaker 1: time from podcasts. As my aside, congratulations on going back 493 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: to school. I hope it is fulfilling in that you're 494 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: doing great. She continues, I just listened to your podcasts 495 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 1: on the Little Mine fascinating as always, and heard that 496 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: you were coming to Denver. I held my breath as 497 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:36,560 Speaker 1: I waited for you to say the date, and it was, 498 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: of course, already passed. I am so sorry to have 499 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: missed you. I hope you had a wonderful time in 500 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:43,560 Speaker 1: Denver and look forward to hearing about that live show. 501 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: I'll start checking the website for appearance dates so I 502 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: won't miss another chance. Thank you both so much for 503 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: keeping me company during so many tedious tasks, long drives 504 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,280 Speaker 1: in the occasional relaxing bath over the years. I'm sure 505 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:57,080 Speaker 1: you hear it from others, but listening to you guys 506 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:58,919 Speaker 1: for so long has really made me feel like we 507 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 1: have a strange sort of friendship, and I love learning 508 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: from you and hearing about all the little connections your 509 00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:06,760 Speaker 1: other listener friends find out in the world. Uh love 510 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 1: page ps. I think Holly called someone a gratul epithecus 511 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 1: and the William McClure episode. Did I hear that right? 512 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: If that was the thing I wanted on a T 513 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 1: shirt so badly? Um, yes, I did. That's a word 514 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: I used to describe myself when I'm grumpy, and I 515 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 1: think it's funny. It is a funny word. I don't 516 00:28:23,880 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: know when I started using it, sometime in my twenties 517 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: or something. UM. Sure, we'll see if they want to 518 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:30,959 Speaker 1: put that on a shirt. We'll talk to our too 519 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 1: public people. UM. I wanted to mention this because it 520 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,800 Speaker 1: brings up something that we've been discussing. You have probably 521 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: noticed if you go to our website it is not 522 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:42,960 Speaker 1: as robust in terms of offering up all of the 523 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 1: stuff you may be used to seeing. It is not 524 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: so UM. I mostly just wanted to say we know 525 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: that is uh in some ways can be a little 526 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: bit frustrating. We are working on figuring out to work 527 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: around for it. I cannot make any promises. We don't 528 00:28:57,320 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 1: know what form that will take if we get to 529 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: a solution that the company agrees upon, but just know 530 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: that we hear you uh, and we understand we will. 531 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 1: I think probably as a matter of course, we might 532 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: start when we have appearances or trips coming up. We 533 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 1: might start just doing a quick little announcement of them, 534 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:17,960 Speaker 1: maybe at the end of listener mail or something along 535 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: those lines, just to keep everybody posted. We do have 536 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: one appearance coming up that I can talk about right now, 537 00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: I think you should. I will talk and then I 538 00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: will get back to the website thing because I so 539 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: Sunday July we are coming back to Quincy, Massachusetts to 540 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: Adams National Historical Park for a live show two pm. 541 00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: I am not a hundred percent shure yet whether it 542 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: is up on the Adams National Historical Park website, but 543 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 1: that's still quite a ways away in terms of time. 544 00:29:47,840 --> 00:29:49,479 Speaker 1: People have plenty of time to work on it. I'm 545 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: sure we will mention it again. So again back in Quincy, 546 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:57,000 Speaker 1: Massachusetts again Sunday July at two pm that day for 547 00:29:57,080 --> 00:30:00,520 Speaker 1: after GHO. We had such a great time last time 548 00:30:00,560 --> 00:30:03,240 Speaker 1: around that I can't wait. Hopefully our live show will 549 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: not fall into the Adam's triangle in terms of recording 550 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: it like last time, but even if something goes wrong 551 00:30:10,040 --> 00:30:11,920 Speaker 1: with the recording again, we'll do a studio version of 552 00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: that episode. Back to the website. I totally understand how frustrating, 553 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: uh it has been for folks who were using that 554 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 1: to get to our show notes or to have a 555 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,480 Speaker 1: searchable archive of every episode ever, which is like a 556 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 1: thing that I said in every episode of the show 557 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: for years. Um. So yeah, we totally understand that the 558 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: website change has been frustrating. Um, it was something that 559 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:35,920 Speaker 1: was outside of our control, and I think it's also 560 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,480 Speaker 1: something that some people have interpreted as kind of nefarious, 561 00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 1: but really it was just a product of our podcast. 562 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: It was initially part of a company called how Stuff Works. 563 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 1: Over the years, how Stuff Works, before we started doing podcasts, 564 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: was sold to Discovery Channel. After Discovery Channels, after we 565 00:30:58,560 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: were part of a Discovery channel, that's when we start 566 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: of doing podcasts. And then in this time span after that, 567 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,640 Speaker 1: we were sold two more times, spun off into our 568 00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,680 Speaker 1: own business, and then sold again, and our website was 569 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 1: like on architecture from another another company that like doesn't 570 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 1: own us and isn't part of the show anymore. So 571 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: like it had to move to I Heart Radio, which 572 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 1: we have been part of for now more than a year, 573 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 1: like a year and a half. A totally different company 574 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: had been supporting our website all that time. So I 575 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 1: think folks have just some folks have been like, I 576 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: can't believe they did this to you, and really like 577 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: it was just a business thing that had to happen. 578 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 1: You You cannot, if you're a business just continue indefinitely 579 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: to support a totally different businesses website. Yeah, it's um 580 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:49,000 Speaker 1: I always tell people because this comes up, I think 581 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: in in fandoms for many things. I'm very active in 582 00:31:52,160 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 1: Star Wars fandom. It comes up there. When something happens, 583 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:57,960 Speaker 1: people want to attach meaning or intent to it that 584 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,520 Speaker 1: makes it a little more exciting or dramatic. But really 585 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,560 Speaker 1: often if it's an occam's razor, the most boring mundane 586 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:09,480 Speaker 1: explanation is probably the realist one, because in business in particular, 587 00:32:09,560 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: there are a lot of boring, mundane logistics that just 588 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: have to be handled, and those often lead to situations 589 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,600 Speaker 1: like the one we find ourselves in at the moment. 590 00:32:17,720 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: So again, as as Holly said, we are actively working 591 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,880 Speaker 1: on getting a solution that will like at least have 592 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: our show notes and things available for folks. And in 593 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: the meantime, if you need some show notes, send us 594 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: an email and we will see if we can help 595 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: you out. Like with that reason, right, I cannot email 596 00:32:33,840 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 1: the show notes for every episode ever, but if there 597 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: is a particular episode that you need the show notes 598 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:40,320 Speaker 1: for because you're working on a project for school or something, 599 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: send us a note. We'll try to help you out. Yeah, yes, 600 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,440 Speaker 1: so Thank you for all of your patients in in 601 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:48,200 Speaker 1: dealing with that if you're I know, particularly for educators 602 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: that often use the site in their classroom, it's been 603 00:32:50,760 --> 00:32:53,480 Speaker 1: a little bit frustrating, so we continue to work on 604 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: it again. It's it's a mundane, boring logistics thing, but 605 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: then create some difficulties figuring out a solution. So bear 606 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,320 Speaker 1: with us and and thank you for your patience up 607 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: to this point. If you would like to write to us, 608 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: you can do so at History Podcast at i heeart 609 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,000 Speaker 1: radio dot com. You can also find us everywhere on 610 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:11,520 Speaker 1: social media as missed in History. If you would like 611 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: to subscribe to the show, that sounds just delightful to us, 612 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,800 Speaker 1: do it at the I Heart Radio app, at Apple Podcasts, 613 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 1: or wherever it is you listen. Stuff you Missed in 614 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:27,520 Speaker 1: History Class is a production of I Heart Radios How 615 00:33:27,560 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, visit 616 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 1: the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 617 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.