>> THIS ORIGINAL WSRE
PRESENTATION IS MADE POSSIBLE BY
VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> HE'S A WRITER AND GRANDSON OF
EARNEST HEMINGWAY, JOHN
HEMINGWAY, ON THIS EDITION OF
CONVERSATIONS.
>> HIS GRANDFATHER WAS ONE OF
THE MOST CELEBRATED WRITERS OF
THE 20th CENTURY.
JOHN HEMINGWAY IS GRANDSON OF
EARNEST HEMINGWAY AND THE AUTHOR
OF STRANGE TRIBE, A FAMILY
MEMOIR.
THE BOOK FOCUSES ON THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOHN'S
FATHER, DR. GREGORY HEMINGWAY
AND HIS FAMOUS FATHER.
ONE CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW
DIFFERENT THE TWO MIGHT APPEAR.
EARNEST HEMINGWAY KNOWN AS A
MACHO HARD LIVING MAN WITH AN
APPETITE FOR BEAUTIFUL WOMEN.
HIS SON SPENT HIS LIFE
CONFLICTED AND CHALLENGED WITH
HIS OWN GENDER.
DR. GREGORY HEMINGWAY WAS A
CROSS DRESSER AND ON ONCATION
WENT BY THE NAME GLORIA.
MY INTENTION IS NOT TO
SENSATIONALIZE THIS, THERE'S
MORE TO THE STORY WE'RE LIKELY
TO LEARN.
A DEEPER MORE IN DEPTH
CONVERSATION IS DESERVED.
IN ADDITION TO WATCHING STRANGE
TRIBE JOHN HEMINGWAY HAS WRITTEN
FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
PUBLICATIONS.
WELCOME JOHN HEMINGWAY TO
CONVERSATIONS.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.
>> THANKS FOR INVITING ME.
>> I KNOW YOU WERE A YEAR OLD
WHEN YOUR GRANDFATHER PASSED
AWAY.
>> 11 MONTHS, 1961.
HE MAY HAVE KNOWN THAT I WAS
AROUND BUT MY FATHER WAS WRITING
TO HIM THAT YEAR BUT EARNEST MY
GRANDFATHER WASN'T RESPONDING
MUCH BECAUSE HE WAS NOT IN GOOD.
HE WAS GETTING SHOCK TREATMENTS
AT THE MAYO CLINIC, AND
SUFFERING FROM DEEP CLINICAL
DEPRESSION.
AT ANY RATE, I DID NOT HAVE ANY
CONVERSATIONS WITH HIM.
>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE, NONETHELESS
YOU CERTAINLY GREW UP IN THE
SHADOW OF AS I SAID IN THE OPEN
ONE OF THE GREATEST WRITERS OF
THE 20th CENTURY.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE BEING GRANDSON
OF EARNEST HEMINGWAY?
>> WHEN I WAS A BOY, I HAD VERY
LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OR FEELING THAT
I WAS LIVING IN A FAMILY IN THE
SHADOW, I MEAN, I THINK MAYBE
WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD I GOT
THE IDEA THAT PERHAPS I HAD A
FAMOUS LAST NAME.
BECAUSE MY DAD WOULD NEVER TALK
ABOUT HIS FATHER WHEN I WAS A
KID.
AT ALL FOR THE MOST PART.
I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER, THAT
HAPPENED LATER ON.
IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME,
MY DAD WAS THE IMPORTANT FIGURE
IN MY LIFE.
HE WAS MY HERO I SUPPOSE IT
WOULD BE FOR MOST SONS, YOU
KNOW, WHO HAVE A FAIRLY DECENT
RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR DAD.
IT WAS A FIGURE SO TO SPEAK, IT
WAS UNREAL, IF IT WAS ANYTHING
FOR ME.
>> TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAD.
>> MY DAD WAS AN M.D., HE WAS
VERY BRIGHT, HUMOROUS AND ACTIVE
PERSON.
HE LOVED PLAYING SPORTS.
AS GOOD A SHOT IF NOT BETTER
THAN MY GRANDFATHER.
AT AGE 12 HE WON NATIONAL SEAT
SHOOTING CONTEST IN CUBA AGAINST
ADULTS.
HE WAS PRETTY PHENOMENAL FOR HIS
AGE.
HE WAS - SURE OF HIMSELF.
HE KNEW HE WAS GOOD AND PROBABLY
MANY WAYS I WOULD SAY HE WAS THE
FAVORITE OF MY GRANDFATHER.
I HEARD THIS ONE STORY, MIGHT
HAVE BEEN IN MY DOCKET DAY'S
MEMOIR OF HIS FATHER WHEN
EARNEST HAS CHOSEN HIM TO CARRY
ON THE FAMILY BUSINESS OF
WRITING.
IF YOU CAN IMAGINE.
AND HERE IS THIS LITTLE KID, 12
YEARS OLD WHO PUT DOWN AT HIS
FATHER'S DESK WITH NICE SET OF
PILE OF PAPER HERE AND PEN AND
EVERYTHING, AN EARNEST SAYS TO
HIP OKAY, JUST WRITE ME A STORY.
WHATEVER COMES TO MIND.
MY FATHER WAS SAYING HE FELT
TERRIFIED AND COULDN'T THINK OF
ANYTHING.
WHAT HE DID IS HE COPIED A SHORT
STORY OF AN TONE CHECKOV AND
CHANGED IT A BIT AND GAVE IT TO
HIS DAD.
HIS DAD DIDN'T REALIZE AT FIRST
AND LIKE WOW HE'S GOOD.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO UPSET HIS
FATHER.
SO HE WAS CAPABLE OF DOING THAT.
PROBABLY MANY KIDS WOULD DO
SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
>> YOUR DAD BECAME A MEDICAL
DOCTOR.
SO HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?
I MEAN, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN AS
YOU JUST SAID PRESSURE TO BE A
WRITER.
HOW DID HE --
>> IN MY FAMILY, EARNEST'S
FATHER WAS AN M.D..
YOU HAVE EARNEST AS A WRITER, MY
DAD AS DOCTOR, I'M A WRITER THEN
A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK MY SON
SAID I WANT TO STUDY MEDICINE.
I DIDN'T PUSH HIM INTO THIS, I
THINK IT WAS MISHISTOMOTHER WHO
IS A NURSE SHOWING HIM BOOKS ON
HUMAN ANATOMY WHEN HE WAS YOUNG
BUT IF HE DOES GO THROUGH IT IT
WOULD BE AN INTERESTING SET OF
DOCTOR SCENARIO REPEATED OVER
THREE -- FOUR GENERATIONS AT
THIS POINT.
>> INTERESTING.
TELL ME ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN YOUR FATHER AND YOUR
GRANDFATHER THAT'S SORT OF WHAT
THE BOOK FOCUSES ON.
TELL ME MORE.
>> THIS IS THE BIOGRAPHY
ESSENTIALLY OF MY FATHER.
BUT TO UNDERSTAND GREGORY
HEMINGWAY YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
EARNEST HEMINGWAY.
AND THEY WERE VERY SIMILAR.
MOST PEOPLE MIGHT THINK THAT'S
PRETTY BORING.
JOHN, BECAUSE MOST KIDS ARE LIKE
THEIR PARENTS.
EXCEPT THAT AS YOU SAID, EARNEST
HEMINGWAY HAS AN IMAGE OF A
MAN'S MAN, WOMAN RECOGNIZER,
GREAT DRINKER, HUNTER LITERARY
GENIUS, ALL THESE THINGS ARE
TRUE.
BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER SIDE TO
HIM WHICH TIED HIM I THINK QUITE
CLOSELY TO MY FATHER.
AND MY FATHER WHO WAS AS YOU
SAY, THE CROSS DRESSER AND
EVENTUALLY ALSO HAD A SEX CHANGE
WHEN HE WAS ABOUT 65 I THINK,
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE 1990s.
AND AT THAT POINT PEOPLE SAY
THERE'S NO CONNECTION HERE TO
JOHN.
JUST CAN'T BE ANY CONNECTION TO
EARNEST.
THERE'S EARNEST AND YOUR FATHER,
MAYBE HE WAS A GREAT GUY BUT
HE'S NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER.
CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
MOST PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY
SUBSCRIBE TO THAT VIEW TOO.
AND I CAN SAY I DIDN'T WANT TO
GO THERE, EVEN TO KNOW IF THERE
WAS SOME CONNECTION BECAUSE I
THOUGHT IF MY FATHER WAS THAT
WAY, HAVING -- HE WAS BIPOLAR,
MANIC EPISODE THEN DEEP
DEPRESSION, DRESSING AS A WOMAN
AND DECIDING TO BECOME A WOMAN
PHYSICALLY, I DON'T WANT TONE IF
THERE WAS SOME SORT OF
SIMILARITY BETWEEN HIM AND PAYMY
GRANDFATHER BECAUSE WHAT DOES
THAT SAY ABOUT ME?
AM I DESTINED TO DO THIS TOO, AM
I DESTINED IF GO TO JP PENNY TO
BUY NYLONS?
AND SO THERE WAS THAT RELUCTANCE
BUT I FOUND THAT AFTER MY DAD
DIED AND I WANTED TO WRITE THIS
BOOK ABOUT HIM, THE IDEA THAT I
HAD THAT THEY WERE DIFFERENT
JUST DIDN'T FIT.
AND MY WIFE AT THE TIME WAS
DOING A LOT TO HELP ME BY
RESEARCHING CERTAIN TEXT BY
HEMINGWAY SCHOLARS WHICH HAD
COME OUT SINCE THE PUBLICATION
TO HAVE GARDEN OF EDEN, IT WAS
INTERESTING BECAUSE IT WAS IN
THE 1950s AND WE FIND A YOUNG
AUTHOR FAIRLY AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
LIKE EARNEST WITH HIS WIFE THERE
IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE.
THEY'RE GETTING INTO GENDER
BENDING GAMES.  CUTTING THEIR
HAIR THE SAME LENGTH, GETTING
DEEPLY TAN WHICH EARNEST WAS
CODE FOR TRANSFIGURATION OF A
SEXUAL SORT BECOMING MORE
AFRICAN AS HE WOULD SAY, BEYOND
ALL TRIBAL LAW.
I.E. TRYING TO FIND THAT POINT
OF UNION BETWEEN WHAT IS MAN AND
WHAT IS WOMAN OR MAYBE WHERE YOU
CAN'T EVEN TELL ONE FROM THE
OTHER.
HE USES IN FACT IN THAT BOOK,
THE STATUTE BY RODAN THE META
MORPHOSIS THE TWO LESBIAN LOVERS
AND AT ONE POINT THE PROTAGONIST
IS SAYING TO HIS LOVER DO YOU
KNOW THAT STATUTE, THE ONE IN
PARIS THEY HAVE NO PICTURES OF?
REFERRING TO -- WE ARE LIKE
THAT.  YOU CAN'T TELL ONE FROM
THE OTHER.
THIS PART WAS ACTUALLY TAKEN OUT
OF THE BOOK WHEN THEY PUBLISHED
IT BECAUSE IT WAS PUBLISHED
POSTHUMOUSLY, MY FAMILY WAS
TRYING TO TONE IT DOWN.
I USED IT IN MY MEMOIR AND WHERE
I SUBMITTED IT TO SCRIBE NEWS SO
THEY COULD HAVE A LOOK AND TELL
ME WHETHER I COULD USE THEY SAID
NO, YOU CAN'T USE THAT PART.
SO I HAD TO PARAPHRASE IT.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS EFFORT
ON MY FAMILY TO SHALL WE SAY
DULL THIS TO ME APPARENT
SIMILARITY BETWEEN THESE TWO
MEN.
IT'S ALMOST AS IF YOU HAVE THE
FATHER WHO IS A WRITER, WHAT
DOES HE DO?
EXPLORES THIS IN HIS WRITING AND
SHORT STORIES.
SUCH AS HA CAT IN THE RAIN OR
SIMPLE INQUIRY.
SIMPLE INQUIRY TAKES PLACE IN
ITALY DURING THE SECOND WORLD
WAR AND YOU HAVE A MAJOR IN
CHARGE OF CENSORING THE LETTERS
OF THE SOLDIERS FROM THE FRONT
TO THE MOTHERS, WIVES, LOVERS.
AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
STORY YOU HAVE HE'S UP THERE,
HE'S DEEPLY TAN BECAUSE OF SNOW
AND SUN AND EVERYTHING
REFLECTING AND HE'S RUBBING
COCONUT INTO LIKE THIS, VERY
STRANGE IMAGE.
UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT TANNING AND
HAVING DARKER SKIN MEANS TO
EARNEST, IT MEANS AGAIN, A
SYMBOL FOR BECOMING MORE
AFRICAN, MORE BEYOND AS HE PUTS
IT, ALL TRIBAL LAW.
TRYING TO FIND THAT UNION
BETWEEN THE TWO.
REMEMBER, I HAVE USUALLY ABOUT
AN HOUR TO EXPLAIN ALL THIS
STUFF, AND BUT I CAN GIVE
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BULLFIGHTING
FOR INSTANCE.
BULLFIGHTING, IN SPAIN IS AN ART
FORM, IT IS NOT A SPORT, IT IS
NOT -- THE BULLS ARE RAISED TO
DIE.
THE ROOTS OF IT THOUGH, AT LEAST
ONE STORY OF THE ROOTS, THE
ROOTS OF BULLFIGHTING WAS SUCH
THAT IN THIS BALLET THAT YOU
HAVE BETWEEN THE ANIMAL AND THE
MATADORE, IT IS THE BULL WHO
SYMBOLIZES THE MAN AND THE WOMAN
IS SYMBOLIZED BY THE BULLFIGHTER
DRESSED AS THEY ARE, VERY
ELEGANTLY ALMOST IN A FEMININE
WAY.
ONLY WHEN THE BULLFIGHTER AFTER
EXECUTING VARY COURTHOUSE PASSES
WITH THE BULL GOING HERE AND
THERE AND COMING VERY CLOSE,
ONLY WHEN THE BULLFIGHTER GOES
OVER THE HORNS AN EXPOSES
HIMSELF TO DEATH BECAUSE THAT IS
THE CRUCIAL MOMENT THERE, AND
PUTS THE HORN DIRECTLY INTO THE
HUGE MUSCLE BEHIND THE NECK
THERE, AND THE CURVED SWARD
SWORD THAT GOES DIRECTLY INTO
THE HEART AND KILL IT IS BULL IF
A GOOD KILL, DO YOU HAVE UNION
BETWEEN THE TWO, BETWEEN THE MAN
AND WOMAN, ONLY IN DEATH DO YOU
HAVE THIS.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT HIS
LESBIAN MENTOR GERTRUDE STAN
KNEW ABOUT.
AND EARNEST WAS HER STAR PUPIL,
WHERE DOES SHE SEND HIM TO SEE
THIS,?
TO PAMPLONA TO SEE HIS FIRST
BULLFIGHT.
I'M NOT SAYING MY GRANDFATHER
WAS GAY OR FATHER WAS GAY, HE
WASN'T BUT THESE WITHIN MEN WHO
WERE OBSESSED BY THIS RESEARCH,
TO FIND THIS POINT OF UNION.
SOME PEOPLE CAN SAY YOU'RE NOT
TRULY A MAN UNTIL YOU HAVE
EMBRACED THIS FEMININE PART OF
YOURSELF OR VICE VERSA FOR A
WOMAN.
THERE WERE -- THEY WERE
TRAVELER, THEY WERE VOYAGERS,
THEY KNEW WHERE THE JOURNEY
BEGAN BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE
IT WOULD END.
THE PROBLEM IS, ONCE YOU GO
BEYOND A CERTAIN POINT YOU CAN'T
TURN BACK BECAUSE YOU GAIN
SELF-KNOWLEDGE.
YOU ARE CHANGED.
SOMETIMES IT WORKS OUT AND
SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN LIFE.
AND WITH BOTH MY FATHER AND MY
GRANDFATHER, THINGS DIDN'T WORK
OUT TOO WELL.
>> AT WHAT POINT IN YOUR LIFE
DID YOU RAILIZE YOUR FATHER WAS
-- REALIZE YOUR FATHER WAS A
CROSS DRESSER?
>> I REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I
THINK I WAS AT -- I WAS GOING TO
UCLA, I WENT UP THERE WHERE HE
WAS IN BOZEMAN FOR A WEEKEND AND
HE WOULDN'T DARE -- HE WASSEN
THERE.
MY BROTHER BRENDAN WAS, HE WAS
-- HE WAS GOING TO YALE AT THE
TIME.
AND SO WE WERE ALWAYS DRIVING
OFF IN THE CAR AND STUFF LIKE
THAT.
ONE TIME WHEN WE GOT BECOME TO
THE HOUSE AND I WAS LOOKING
THROUGH SOME STUFF I SAW THIS
WIG AND SOME LIPSTICK.
HE SAID OH, YEAH THAT, BELONGS
TO DAD.
WHAT?
YOU DIDN'T KNOW?
NO, I DIDN'T KNOW.
AND I TOLD MY MOTHER ABOUT IT
WHEN I GOT BACK TO LOS ANGELES
AND SHE GOES OH, THAT.
HE WAS DOING THAT BACK WHEN HE
WAS WITH ME.
OKAY.
SO INTERESTING.
>> DID THAT CHANGE YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM?
>> NO.
I MEAN, I WAS TOLERANT OF
EVERYTHING.
I WAS LIKE OKAY, YOU WANT TO DO
-- I REMEMBER ONCE EVEN IN 1985
WHEN I WENT TO SEW HIM AGAIN IN
MONTANA AND IT WAS I THINK
JULY 1st, CANADA DAY, THAT
WAS IT.
FUNNY ENOUGH.
BUT I WAS WATCHING THE TODAY'S
SHOW AND THEY WERE HAVING THE
CANADIAN AMBASSADOR COME IN AND
TALK.
AND NEXT THING I SEE MY DAD PEAK
PEEK IN AN HE'S GOT HIS DRESS
ON, BLONDE WIG, MAKEUP AND
EVERYTHING.
I SEE HIM I'M TRYINGTO SINK
INTO THE CHAIR LIKE THIS.
AND HE CLOSE CLOSES THE DOOR
QUICKLY.
AFTERWARDS HE COMES BECOME IN,
TAKING OFF THE WIG, HE'S LIKE
TIPPING UP THE STAIRS LIKE THAT,
LOOKING LIKE SOMEONE WHO COULD
NEVER PASS AS A WOMAN.
HE HAS THESE HUMONGOUS CALF
MUSCLES AN PLAYING THE SPORTS
AND DOING THE THINGS HE LIKES TO
DO.
HE GOES HI, JOHN.
SO THAT -- I'M LIKE OKAY.
I DIDN'T CARE.
IT WENT -- YOU WANT TO DO THIS
STUFF, THAT'S FINE.
IT'S COOL.
I DIDN'T REALLY SEE THE KEEP
DEEPEST SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS
BECAUSE THAT WAS TEN YEARS
BEFORE WHAT AM I SAYING, HE
GIDDIED IN TUAN.
THAT WAS 1985, THAT WAS ABOUT 20
YEARS.  -- HE DIED IN 2001.
HI BOOK WAS PUBLISHED IN '87 SO
THIS WAS A GOOD WHILE
AFTERWARDS.
BUT FOR ME EVEN AFTER HE HAD THE
SEX CHANGE AND EVERYTHING, I DID
NOT HAVE TWO MOTHERS.
MY MOTHER IS MOTHER AND YOU WILL
REMAIN MY DAD EVEN IF YOU WANT
TO CALL YOURSELF GLORIA ON ONE
FLORIDA LICENSE AN GREG ON
ANOTHER.
HE HAD TWO AT THE SAME TIME.
ALWAYS SOMETHING AMAZING ABOUT
THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT, ROOM
FOR EVERYONE.
>> TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT --
YOU SAID YOUR DAD WAS BIPOLAR.
EARNEST WAS BIPOLAR.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT.
>> THAT'S TENDS TO BE
HEREDITARY, EARNEST'S FATHER
SUFFERED FROM CLINICAL
DEPRESSION.
AND IN THE END HE KILLED HIMSELF
TOO.
ALSO THERE WAS SISTER AND
BROTHER OF MY GRANDFATHER WHO
BOTH SUFFERED FROM DEPRESSION.
THE BROTHER WHO I LIVED WITH IN
THE END AT DIABETES AND THEY
WERE GOING TO HAVE TO AMPUTATE
HIS LEGS SO HE KILLED HIMSELF.
BUT BEING BIPOLAR IS -- IF YOU
TALK TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE IT,
A GIFT.
THEY WOULDN'T WANT THE GET RID
OF IT, BE LIKE GETTING RID OF
YOUR RIGHT ARM IF YOU'RE RIGHT
HANDED.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT DEFINES YOU.
IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF
TREMENDOUS CREATIVITY AT TIMES.
BUT IF IT IS IT ISN'T CONTROLLED
YOU'LL GO SIGH ALCOHOLIC AND --
PSYCHOTIC AND CRASH INTO
CLINICAL DEPRESSION.
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THESE
PEOPLE KILL THEMSELVES.
SO YOU NEED SHALL WE SAY
ENABLERS -- YOU NEED PEOPLE THAT
ARE GOING TO HELP YOU.
BUT MANY ARTISTS, SCIENTIST,
MATHEMATICIANS HAVE BEEN
BIPOLAR.
>> INTERESTING.
I HAD NO IDEA.
YOUR FATHER -- GRANDFATHER
OBVIOUSLY TOOK HIS OWN LIFE BUT
YOUR FATHER DID NOT.
WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?
>> THAT'S A KIND OF SAD STORY
THERE.
BECAUSE THAT STORY I WOULD SAY
STARTED IN 1951 WHEN HE WAS
WORKING AS A MECHANIC FOR
MCDONALD DOUGLAS IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA.
HAD A YOUNG WIFE.
AND I THINK EITHER THEIR CHILD
HAD JUST BEEN BORN OR WAS
VERY,VERY YOUNG, WE'RE TALKING
NEWBORN, MY OLDER SISTER LAUREL
HEMINGWAY, AND HE WAS CROSS
DRESSING.
GETTING MARRIED DIDN'T STOP HIM. 
AND HE DECIDED TO DRESS UP AND
GO OUT TO SEE A MOVIE AND WHAT
HE DID WAS GO INTO A WOMAN'S
RESTROOM F YOU DO THIS IN LOS
ANGELES BACK THEN YOU'RE ASKING
FOR TROUBLE AND THEY ARRESTED
HIM.
HE HAD HIS ONE PHONE CALL, GOT
IN TOUCH WITH HIS MOTHER UP IN
SAN FRANCISCO VISITING HER
SISTER, SHE CAME DOWN, PAID
BAIL, KEPT THE PRESS QUIET, THAT
WAS EASY BECAUSE THEN SHE HAD TO
TALK TO EARNEST.
AND EARNEST WAS LIVID.
HE JUST LIT INTO HER -- INTO
PAULINE, MY GRANDMOTHER.
PAULINE PFEIFER SAYING YOU
RUINED HIM WITH YOUR EDUCATION,
IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT.
AND THEY ARGUED FOR OVER AN
HOUR.
AT THE END OF IT SHE WAS REALLY
SHAKEN.
REALLY, REALLY SHAKEN ABOUT
THIS.
LATER ON THAT EVENING SHE
STARTED TO FEEL ILL AND THEY HAD
TO EVENTUALLY GET AN AMBULANCE
TO RUSH HER TO THE HOSPITAL.
THE SURGEON DISCOVERED SHE WAS
HEMORRHAGING, THEY COULDN'T FIND
OUT WHERE SHE WAS HEMORRHAGING
AND AT EXACTLY 2 IN THE MORNING
LOS ANGELES TIME SHE DIED ON THE
OPERATING TABLE, THAT WAS
OCTOBER 1st, 1951.
NEEDLESS TO SAY MY DAD WAS
REALLY UPSET ABOUT THIS.
ALSO BECAUSE HE FELT GUILTY
ABOUT THIS, HE PERHAPS -- I'M
SURE HE KNEW THAT HAD HE NOT
DONE THAT HIS PTHER WOULD NOT
HAVE ARGUED WITH HIS FATHER AND
PERHAPS SHE MIGHT HAVE NOT BEEN
SO UPSET TO POINT WHERE WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO HER WOULD NOT HAVE
HAPPENEDDED.
EARNEST ON THE OTHER HAND WAS
VERY GENEROUS AFTER THAT, VERY
KIND TO MY FATHER AND INVITED
HIM, HIS YOUNG WIFE AND THEIR
BABY DAUGHTER TO CUBA FOR
CHRISTMAS.
HE WAS AN EXCELLENT HOST TAKING
OUT HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW TO THE
BEST PLACES IN CUBA AND
INTRODUCING HER TO CUBAN HIGH
SOCIETY.
VERY GOOD TRIP.
EXCEPT THAT WHEN IT CAME TIME
FOR THREE OF THEM TO GET ON THE
PLANE BACK TO MIAMI AN LOS
ANGELES, MY GRAND THATTHER
STOPPED MY DAD ON THE STAIRS AND
SAID GIGI, THAT WAS HIS
NICKNAME, YOU KILLED YOUR MOTHER
WITH THAT STUNT THERE IN LOS
ANGELES.
THIS WAS LIKE A TON OF BRICKS
GUILT COMING DOWN ON MY DAD.
>> I'LL SURE.
>> AND LATER ON THERE WAS SOME
VERY NASTY LETTERS BETWEEN THE
TWO OF THEM.
AND IT GOT SO BAD THAT BASICALLY
EARNEST WAS SAYING I DON'T WANT
ANY MORE LETTERS FROM YOU UNLESS
THEY HAPPEN TO BE BUSINESS
LETTERSFUL RIGHT NOW I WANT YOU
TO WRITE AN APOLOGY TO MARY, HIS
WIFE AT THE TIME, BECAUSE
APPARENTLY MY DAD HAD STOLEN A
PAIR OF HER NYLONS AN BLAMED IT
ON THE MAID.
AND HE WAS EMBARRASSED ABOUT
THIS, HE TOLD THEM BECAUSE HE
WAS ALWAYS EMBARRASSED ABOUT
THIS AND ESPECIALLY WITH PEOPLE
HE CARED ABOUT SO HE LIED ABOUT
IT.
AND HOWEVER, THESE LETTERS
CONTINUED AND FOR A WHILE.
THEN A CURIOUS THING HAPPENED
THAT AS THE YEARS PASSED
WHENEVER OCTOBER 1st CAME
ALONG HE WOULD HAVE A MAINIC
PHASE THEN CRASH.
-- MANIC FACE PHASE.
HE JOINED THE PARATROOPERS IN
1955.
THERE WAS A PICTURE IN ONE OF
THE NEWSPAPER -- MAGAZINES I
THINK IT WAS NEWS WEEK SAYING
HELLO TO ARMS, GREGORY HEM
HEMINGWAY JOINS THE
PARATROOPERS, A PRO MOW FOR THE
U.S. ARMY.
PROBLEM IS THOUGH THAT HE WAS
MANIC AT TIME, HE HAD TO DO HIS
FIRST JUMP, PANICS, GOES
PSYCHOTIC, AND THEY PUT HIM IN
WHAT THEY CALL THE GOONY BIN
WHICH IS PSYCHIATRIC WARD.
HE WAS GIVEN A MILITARY
DISCHARGE, HE DIDN'T TELL HIS
DAD AT ALL ABOUT THIS.
HE BASICALLY JUST SAID THEY
DIDN'T NEED ME OR WHATEVER, OR
GOOD BEHAVIOR, SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
EARNEST BELIEVED HIM.
BUT THERE ARE OTHER TIMES WHEN
HE WAS OUT IN AFRICA LATER ON
WHEN HE WAS WRITING BASICALLY
SUICIDE LETTERS TO HIS FRIEND
SAYING HE WANTED TO KILL
HIMSELF, HIS FRIEND WHO THEN
GETS IN TOUCH WITH EARNEST,
EARNEST WHO THEN STARTS TO GET
WORRIED AND GET HIS SON BACK TO
CUBA, SENDS HIM UP TO MIAMI, HE
HAS HIM TO A SERIES OF SHOCK
TREATMENTS.  THIS IS A SIMILAR
-- A PATTERN WHICH ACCOMPLISHED
ITSELF THROUGHOUT THE 1950s.
MY FATHER WOULD HAVE THESE
EPISODES WHERE HE WOULD BREAK
DOWN LITERALLY, AND EARNEST
WOULD BE THERE TO PICK UP THE
PIECES, PAYING FOR THE MEDICAL
BILLS, HE WAS VERY CONCERNED
FATHER.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE MAN.
HE SEES HIS SON WHO HAS THIS
CONDITION WHICH HE KNOWS HAS
COME FROM HIM.
AND YET HE CAN'T DO A DAMN THING
ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE
LITHIUM, THAT DIDN'T CE OUT
UNTIL 1966 AND WASN'T
COMMERCIALIZED UNTIL 1970.
SO YOU EITHER DRANK WHICH MADE
IT WORSE OR YOU HAD SHOCK
TREATMENTS WHICH IS NOT EXACTLY
MANAGING IT, IT'S JUST SNAPPING
YOU OUT OF THE CLINICAL
DEPRESSION.
THAT DOES WORK BUT IT TAKES ITS
TOLL, I REMEMBER SEEING MY DAD
ONCE AFTER ONE OF THOSE PERIODS
AND IT WAS AS IF -- MANY PARTS
OF HIS MEMORY JUST WEREN'T
THERE.
>> LET ME JUMP IN BECAUSE I'M
GETTING TIGHT ON TIME BUT YOUR
DAD ULTIMATELY DIED IN PRISON?
>> HE DID.
WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS HE
DIED HE HAD BEEN ARREST IN THE A
MANIC PERIOD AND HE DIED ON
OCTOBER 1st 2001 AT EXACTLY
5 IN THE MORNING.
ON THE DAY HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
ARRAIGNED OF HEART ATTACK,
EXACTLY 50 YEARS TO THE DAY TO
THE HOUR OF HIS MOTHER'S DEATH.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW
THAT AFFECTED HIM.
>> I WANT TO JUST TOUCH HERE ON
ABOUT THREE MINUTES LEFT HERE ON
YOU.
THIS IS ALL IN THE BOOK THE
STUFF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
PERMLY, JOHN HEMINGWAY, WHAT ARE
YOU DOING THESE DAYS?
>> RIGHT NOW I'M WORKING AT A
COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES SOME
WHICH I HAVE ALREADY PUBLISHED
OTHERS WILL ONLY OUT WITH THE
COLLECTION ITSELF.
I AM ALSO RIGHT NOW TALKING WITH
SOME FRIENDS ABOUT A FISHING
SHOW ON CABLE TV.
DEEP SEE FISHING MOSTLY SET IN
THE CARIBBEAN, AROUND KEY WEST,
BAHAMAS, THAT SORT OF STUFF.
AND I DO LECTURES LIKE THIS, I
CHOP WOOD.
WASH DISHES.
DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO, HUH?
ABSOLUTELY.
AND TAKE A QICK ANSWER THIS IS
AN HOUR CONVERSATION BUT UP
FORTUNATELY WE ONLY HAVE 30
MINUTE BUS BEING THE GRANDSON OF
EARNEST HEMINGWAY, FOR YOU AS A
WRITER, WAS THAT BLESSING OR A
CURSE?
>> IN THE BEGINNING YEAH IT WAS
A TREMENDOUS I WOULD SAY CURSE
FOR METHOPEOPLE WOULD SAY WHAT
DO YOU MEAN?
IT'S SO EASY TO GET -- YEAH BUT
THERE'S ALSO FINDING YOUR OWN
VOICE.
UNTIL YOU DO THAT, YOU'RE REALLY
WORRIED ABOUT WHAT YOU WRITE.
WHEN YOU PHONED YOUR OWN VOICE
YOU REALIZE YOU CAN ONLY WRITE
USING THAT.
YOU CAN'T PRETEND TO BE ANY
OTHER WRITER IN THE WORLD.
SO AT THAT POINT IT BECOMES
SOMETHING MUCH MORE INTERESTING
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT YOU
REALIZE I CAN SEE HOW GOOD I CAN
BE.
EARNEST WAS FANTASTIC.
YOU'RE A GREAT GUY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHERE I'LL GO
THOUGH.
>> INTERESTING.
LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO
COPE TRACK OF YOU.
NAME OF THE BOOK IS STRANGE
TRIBE ASSUMING AVAILABLE ON
AMAZON.
>> YOU CAN GET IT ON AMAZON.
YEAH.
>> WHAT A PLEASURE VISITING WITH
YOU.
FASCINATING STORY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.
JOHN HEMINGWAY.
GOOD LUCK ON THE FISHING SHOW.
KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO
THAT.
>> OH, YEAH.
EASIER THAN WRITING.
>> I CAN IMAGINE.
JOHN HEMINGWAY.
THE GRANDSON OF OF COURSE THE
FAMOUS WRITER EARNEST HEMINGWAY
AND OF COURSE JOHN IN AND OF
HIMSELF A WRITER NOT ONLY THE
BOOK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BUT
ALSO MANY SHORT STORIES AND
ARTICLES FOR NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS.
BY THE WAY, YOU CAN SEE MUCH
MORE I SHOULD SAY MANY MORE OF
OUR CONVERSATIONS ONLINE AT
WSRE.ORG/CONVERSATIONS.
I'M JEFF WEEKS.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR
SPENDING TIME WITH US.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE
BROADBAND.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
WE'LL SEE YOU SOON.
♪♪
♪♪
>> SUPPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM IS
PROVIDED IN PART BY THESE
CORPORATE SPONSORS.  AND BY
VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
