One True Podcast

Alex Vernon joins the show to discuss one of Hemingway’s major themes: men at war.  He penetrates the myth of Hemingway-as-warmonger, isolates some of the writer's most evocative war passages, and even reflects on his own war experiences in the Middle East. 

Vernon also tracks Hemingway’s development from the young eyewitness of World War I to the keen partisan of the Spanish Civil War, and finally to the solemn commentator of WWII journalism. In pursuit of Hemingway’s place in the canon of war literature, this episode incorporates a lively discussion of Crane, O’Brien, Stendhal, and even the Kardashians.

This episode was recorded on June 27, 2019.

This episode is a journey into the culture and history of Cuba. Given the undeniable importance of Cuba in Hemingway’s life and legacy, Hemingway readers will learn a lot more about it from one of the preeminent scholars, thinkers, and writers on Cuba, Dr. Julia E. Sweig.

Dr. Sweig discusses US-Cuba relations, their tumultuous history, her meetings with Fidel Castro, and her sense of what we might expect--and hope for--in the coming years. The interview touches on issues of immigration, terrorism, and contemporary politics as we explore the past, present, and future of our Cuban neighbors.

This episode was recorded on May 23, 2019.

In this episode, we explore Hemingway and John Dos Passos, their service in the American Red Cross during World War I, their writing careers, and their doomed friendship. 

In order to do so, we chat with the man who wrote the book on it.  James McGrath Morris’s The Ambulance Drivers chronicles the highs and lows of their relationship and their legacies.  As well, Morris talks about the mystery surrounding the identity of the Italian soldier who saved the young Hemingway’s life.

This episode was recorded on June 12, 2019.

Today's show places Ernest Hemingway alongside one of his artistic contemporaries: F. Scott Fitzgerald.  Part friendship and part rivalry, their complex relationship has all the twists and turns of a good novel about two characters that, at least on the surface, seem vastly different.  
There's some truth to these differences but, like a good story, there's a fair share of fiction.  We sit down with Kirk Curnutt to set the record straight.  During the episode, we draw the distinction between myth and reality to learn more about their lives, their art, and their relationship. 

This episode was recorded on May 30, 2019.