Many people may already know who Ernest Hemingway is or some people may have never heard of him before. Ernest Hemingway was a famous writer and author who has written several famous books such as, "The Sun also Rises", "The Old Man and the Sea", and "Dangerous Summer". While Hemingway became very famous throughout the years and even after his passing in 1962, he suffered from many mental health struggles.
Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. Hemingway started his writing career very early as a newspaper writer in Kansas City at "The Star" at the age of seventeen. It is a known fact that Hemingway suffered from severe depression, paranoid delusions, and bipolar disease. Hemingway would also suffer for years from severe alcoholism, severe head injuries, and a rare genetic disease called "hemochromatosis", this can cause intense fatigue and memory loss. Suicide was very common in Hemingways family, as his father, sister, brother and much later his granddaughter all committed suicide. Hemingway passed away from suicide after several previous suicide attempts on July 2 1961, just a few days before his 62nd Birthday. His wife found him and recalled his death as "being an accidental suicide", but everyone knows it was absolutely not an accident.
Although, Ernest Hemingway lived a very successful life he struggled a lot with his own issues, whether it was moving from wife to wife or suffering from mental health issues. Hemingways struggles demonstrates that anyone even famous people can suffer in silence and not show visible signs. Hemingway was always fond of writing and his pet cats.... this is how he seemed to decompress as well as spend his spare time. On a personal note, I have been to the Ernest Hemingway home in Key West, Florida. After arriving in Key West in April of 1928, Hemingway and his wife Pauline would later decide to make Key West their permanent home. Hemingways wife's Uncle Gus would buy a house on Whitehead Street for the couple. This home is now a well known historical and museum site. It homes over 60 polydactyl (six-toed) cats. Earnest Hemingway was gifted a polydactyl or six toed cat by a ship captain. The cat was white in color and aptly named Snow White. The cats on on the Hemingway home property today are "descendants" of the white polydactyl cat. I also throughly enjoyed learning more about Ernest Hemingway, when visiting this home. There was historical facts all throughout the home about Hemingway, the home furnishings and why he was important. I loved getting to pet the cats as well. The Hemingway home is a truly beautiful historical site, and I highly recommend it to anyone who visits the Florida Keys.
Hemingway and Paulines marriage would end and they would ultimately divorce in 1940. Hemingway would begin living in Cuba along with what would be his third wife Martha Gel-horn. Hemingway would still visit Key West up until he died in 1961. Even though Key West has had its share of writers and artists alike no one would be as well known as Earnest Hemingway.
The images below were taken by me at the Ernest Hemingway Home.
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