?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,500 - $ 3,500
THE DANGEROUS SUMMER: "LAST SUMMER WAS THE BEST TIME I EVER HAD" HEMINGWAY, ERNEST. Letter Signed, "Ernest / His mark EH," to Bill Davis ("Dear Negro"), thanking for sending magazines and papers, remarking that there was no customs trouble for books he sent, remarking that the nonfiction war writing of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and Erwin Rommel and other Germans is dull, expecting a visit from his doctor George Saviers who is to examine his wife's arm, looking forward to releasing the story he had been working on involving bullfighting to critics Kenneth Tynan and Peter Buckley and others [his last major work, The Dangerous Summer, (1985)], requesting newspaper clippings about a bullfight at Dax involving Antonio's Ordóñez, complaining of difficulty recalling some details, reporting that his biographer A.E. Hotchner has important plans but he has not heard from him recently, wondering about the reception of two of his short stories, and wishing he could be with him as the fish start to bite. Text in the hand of his personal secretary, Valerie Danby-Smith. 3 pages, 4to, personal stationary, onionskin paper, written on three sheets; folds. With the original envelope. "Finca Vigia" [Havana], 4 January 1960
". . . [W]as happy to have Lettow-Vorbeck. He was a very noble character and can certainly put solid kraut dullness over one of the most brilliant campaigns in history. But Rommel is dull reading too. Very few krauts make good reading. I suppose it is because they tell the truth & keep back anything that should not be shared with outsiders. Also they always write as though they hoped they might have a chance to fight the same campaign over again. "Here the weather has finally turned for the good & we may even have some fishing. George Saviers should be down in a few days, and will be able to give a good look at Mary's arm. . . . Am running hard in everything except word production. The piece I started at the Consula now over 63,000, reasons why as complicated as charge of late [light?] brigade. Very difficult piece but I hope it will be good. Something in it for everybody including the crows. Am tired of skinning all these dead horses and they can take bullfighting, for the moment, and put it where they found it. After this appendix is finished will relinquish it to Tynan, Buckley and whoever wants it if they can find it. . . . Last summer was the best time I ever had and am only bitching so as not to be rude around the house. . . . ". . . Forgot to thank you for the Burgos clipping. Do you think you could find one on the fight at Dax where the bull stepped on Antonio's foot? Unfortunately, that is all I remember about that fight except that the bulls had their horns shaved down to the quick. Remember all about Jamie[?] & giving him the smelling salts & about Luis Segura making such a bloody fool of himself. But mostly I recall how La Barata [pet name of his Lancia car?] farted & spat, Nicole & her relatives & the bull stepping on Antonio's foot. You can see how difficult it is to have only selective recall. From San Sabastian on it gets quite vivid. . . . Hotch [A.E. Hotchner] has all sorts of plans but I have not seen him since before Christmas . . . . Don't know how the last show the Snows [short story "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"] was received. . . . He is doing The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio next . . . . Hope he keeps well as a hell of a lot depends on him . . . ."
