Author Description
In the spring of 1934 an adventurous twenty-two-year-old aspiring writer, Arnold Samuelson, hitchhiked from Minneapolis to Key West to meet Ernest Hemingway. Instead of turning him away, Hemingway hired him to guard his new cabin cruiser, 'Pilar,' and became the young man's mentor in the craft of writing. This memoir, which came to light after Samuelson's death in 1981, recounts the remarkable year he spent with his idol - fishing for sailfish and marlin in the deep waters of the Gulf Stream, meeting Hemingway's friends, including poet Archibald Macleish and bullfighter Sidney Franklin.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This memoir investigates the formative influence of Ernest Hemingway on an aspiring writer during a pivotal year of mentorship and companionship. Arnold Samuelson, a young man with literary ambitions, documents his 1934 experience working for Hemingway in Key West and Cuba. The text serves as a primary source account of Hemingway's daily habits, creative philosophy, and social circle during the mid-1930s.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed accounts of life aboard the Pilar in the Gulf Stream
- First-hand observations of Hemingway's writing process and advice to a protégé
- Anecdotes involving historical figures such as Archibald Macleish and Sidney Franklin
Scope Limits
- The narrative is restricted to the specific year of 1934 and does not cover the entirety of Samuelson's life
- The text focuses primarily on the perspective of the mentee rather than a comprehensive biography of Hemingway
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and literary enthusiasts value this work for its candid, unvarnished look at Hemingway's personality outside of his public persona. Readers frequently note that the prose is straightforward and provides a rare, intimate window into the daily life of a major literary figure.
Page Count:
216
Publication Date:
1988-01-01
Publisher:
Henry Holt & Co
ISBN-10:
0030056179
ISBN-13:
9780030056178
Memoir
Non-Fiction
Biography
Literary History
South
Regional US