Friday, December 6, 2013

Ernest Hemingway's Havana Retreat


Finn-Olaf Jones at the Wall Street Journal visited the old Cuban home of one of my favorite writers, Ernest Hemingway, and offered an interesting piece.

The Finca's current pristine condition is a testament to Hemingway's continual hold even now among the most divergent of readers. The author who in life provoked three divorces, international controversies and a few memorable punch-outs, has, in death, created an unlikely alliance between two belligerent nations.
 
Since 2005, a team of U.S. engineers, conservationists and architects under the auspices of the Boston-based Finca Vigía Foundation has been working with Ms. Rosale's team to restore the 19th-century building, replacing the sagging roof, installing a new drainage system and rebuilding interior walls. They've also sorted, preserved and cataloged some 3,000 original documents moldering in the tropical humidity.
 
They are in the midst of digitizing the archives so they can be seen for the first time outside of Cuba.
 
"This is a labor of love for us," says Mary-Jo Adams, the foundation's director. "Most of the consultants have been doing this pro bono, and we can't import construction materials. But we have the longest-running cross-cultural program in Cuba. U.S. politicians from both sides of the political aisle—such as Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern —have supported us. Hemingway unites a lot of people."  
 
You can read the rest of the piece and view some good photos via the below link:
 

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