Francis, I feel the same as you about Islands in the Stream. As flawless as his writings may have been, the same cant be said of the man who had enough clay in his feet to build a brick house. He left the terrible legacy of suicide to his friends and family when he killed himself. From accounts Ive read, he paid little attention to his son Jack while he was younger, but reserved attention for him only after Jack was a war hero. In an article after Jacks death, he was quoted as saying he spent the first half of his life being known as the son of a great writer, and the second half as being the father of two beautiful and famous women.
John McCain did a tribute last month in the NY Times to a man who fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans with the Lincoln Brigade. Berg was the last living member of the Americans who fought in Spain. In it he said his favorite novel was For Whom the Bell Tolls and Robert Jordan his favorite literary hero. As an old warrior yourself, I think you will appreciate his sentiments:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/25/opinion/john-mccain-salute-to-a-communist.htmlCSPAN a few years ago did a live broadcast from Hemingway's house of cats in Key West. It was on all day as they interviewed friends, family and literary scholars about Hemingway. Mariel did a recorded interview about her grandfather and it was wonderful to see and hear.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?169686-1/interview-hemingway The twin Wheeler of Pilar is on permanent display inside the Bass Pro Shop in Islamorada.
Gil
