Hemingway, Cuba, and the Cuban Works

Chapter 21: Hemingway His Impact in the Cuban Press Today

327 Hemingway His Impact in the Cuban Press Today ned quevedo arnaiz Hemingway’s approach to Cuban topics in his narratives started with “After the Storm,” through which he expresses his disapproval of the maritime authorities responsible for sinking the ship Valbanera in the Gulf Stream. After that, Hemingway drew on Cuba, a country he loved, as a great source of inspiration for his fictional work: notably To Have and Have Not, “Nobody Ever Dies,” The Old Man and the Sea, and Islands in the Stream. Through all of these works, he expressed a sensitive and thoughtful concern about anything unfortunate that happened on the island; an attitude greatly appreciated by Cubans. We are proud that Hemingway made his home at Finca Vigía for so long. Since he clearly valued Cuba, as we do, Cubans paid attention to him. His legend has become a part of the Cojímar wind and the atmosphere of Old Havana , and good feeling about him remains here. His influence on Cuban culture may be seen in the work of painters such as Carlos Piloto and Alexis Gelebert, musicians such as Lucia Huergo, dancers such as Laura Alonso and Roxana de los Rios, and writers such as Leonardo Padura, Marilyn Bobes, and Francisco López Sacha. His name has also been constantly referred to in Cuban newspapers and magazines because, more than his books, more than his sports records, more than the image of him cultivated for tourists in Havana, it is his simplicity and honesty as a man that inspires our respect and admiration. He is the one that everybody wants to give life to forever. Hemingway’s books have been widely read in Cuba, especially The Old Man and the Sea, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, and the short stories gathered under the title The Snows of Kilimanjaro. However, many of his books are still unpublished in Cuba, a fact to be regretted, since most of us cannot 328 Ned Quevedo Arnaiz read them. This fact also explains why it is Hemingway scholars, with access to most of his productive work, who have made the most exhaustive literary analyses of it, in papers presented at academic conferences held in Cuba. Nevertheless, when I was asked to compile a list of the articles and books on Hemingway published in Cuba since the late twentieth century, I found, to my joy, that more than one thousand articles or essays on Hemingway and his work have been published here since 1970. I decided to start the list of references at 1970, because some earlier newspaper issues have been damaged by the passage of time and cannot be consulted. I have also selected only those works of popular journalism that analyze his literature in some way or that examine his Cuban settings or characters. Nevertheless, I hope the information I have left out can be added some day, to more fully reflect the range of our scholars’ interest in Hemingway and his work. Compiled Annotations 1970 Amare, Amaro. “Tres días de pericia, resistencia . . . y suerte [Three days of Skillfulness, Resistance . . . And Luck].” Mar y Pesca [The Sea and Fishing] Aug. 1970: 14–15. Magazine; organ of the National Fisheries Institute. Deals with the Ernest Hemingway Tournament, and frequently refers to The Old Man and the Sea. 1971 Quiza, Ricardo. “Un nuevo campeón [A New Champion].” Listos para Vencer [Ready to Win] 25 May 1971: 3–7. Journal. 1973 Rego, Raúl. “A la caza del cazador [To Hunt the Hunter].” Revolución y Cultura [Revolution and Culture] Aug. 1973: 50–56. Organ of the National Fisheries Institute. Full, detailed article about Hemingway’s house, which eventually became a museum. 1974 Castro, José. “El baúl de los recuerdos [The Trunk of Memories].” Proa y Puerto [Bow and Port] Oct. 1974: 52–53. Organ of the Ministry of Merchant Navy and Ports. Hemingway 329 Contains interviews of many fishermen who met Hemingway while fishing in the Gulf Stream. Cruz, Mary. “Lo cubano en ‘One Trip Across’ [Cuba Reflected in ‘One Trip Across’].” Anuario de Literatura y Lingüística [Literature and Linguistic Yearbook ] 1974: 101–29. Analyzes story, especially the technical means used by Hemingway to achieve his desired effect with first- hand material that denotes how close he was to the Cuban atmosphere at that time. Explains why most of the symbols, thematic threads, settings, and secondary characters are...