For those who don't know Hem was a full time sucker upper. He connected with Sherwood Anderson in Chicago. Made great friends with him (Of course Ernie had great talent) and got a letter of intro to Gertrude Stein in Paris and even got Sherwood to hook him up with Liverwright (Anderson's publisher) who published "In Our Time" Once in Paris he glomed onto the whole circle around Stein which included Ezra Pound. He was actually typing up Gertrude's manuscripts at one point. Got Ezra to give him writing lessons in exchange for boxing lessons. Hooked up with Fitzgerald and the Murphys and proceeded to write a parody of Sherwood Anderson to give to Liverwright as his second book (had a 2 book deal) so they would turn it down because Fitzgerald had promised to take "A Sun Also Rises" to Scribner's for more money. It was also assumed that Pauline could offer him a better life style (the second wife). With all of this in mind, one should read "A Moveable Feast" as the book of an ungrateful twerp. Lord knows what they are going to try to do with "A Moveable Feast" -make it more of an ugly book about the people that helped him? They are republishing a new version, if you haven't heard.
Broke up with Dos Passos after years and years because Dos had slept with the same groupie Hem had.
Anyway, who sez these people have to be good people.
Me thinks Blixen was a better sort.
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