Published posthumously, A Moveable Feast is a memoir of Hemingway’s life in Paris as a young man. He remembers people, places, stories he wrote, his wife and son—among other subjects—and writes with honesty and frankness. While writing this book, he was struggling with illness, memory loss, and depression. Perhaps this memoir provided him with a measure of peace, its vivid memories of happier times with Hadley, first son Bumby, and his beginning career.

Although we will never know the role the book played, we are fortunate that the manuscript was preserved and published. Its first appearance came in 1964 and was edited by his fourth wife Mary. In 2009, a second revised edition appeared edited by his grandson Sean Hemingway. Both editions give us a closer look at Hemingway’s early years as a writer and offer insight into friends, family, and his developing writing style.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.