The young man and his hometown, far from the sea
Writers travel in many different directions to reach their destinations. Ernest Hemingway's adventurous spirit carried him around the globe, fueling his ambitions and creative temperament.
From his youthful days in Europe as a Red Cross ambulance driver during the Great War to his flamboyant and glamorous Paris period and exploits in Africa, Key West, and Cuba, the Hemingway myth and legend were well under way early on.
A restless wanderer throughout his lifetime, Hemingway began mapping out his lofty literary dreams in Oak Park, Ill., his birthplace and boyhood residence. It was in this quiet, tree-lined suburb 10 miles west of Chicago that one of America's most prolific and gifted writers began his literary journey.
Hemingway isn't the only famous person to have called Oak Park home - so did architect Frank Lloyd Wright, author Edgar Burroughs of "Tarzan" fame, and journalist and playwright Charles MacArthur, who penned "The Front Page."
But it is Hemingway's name and legacy that clearly cast the longest literary shadow in Oak Park.
One of the most poignant reminders of him is the World War I Memorial in Scoville Park, where his name, along with those of other Oak Park soldiers who served in the war, is engraved on the monument's base. With so many of Hemingway's wartime experiences recounted in his novels, somehow seeing his name on this monument makes the larger-than-life legend seem more real and human.
But well before Hemingway left for the war, his experiences in Oak Park ignited his longing to become a journalist and author. It was here that he learned the love of storytelling from his maternal grandfather, and where his initial interest in writing took root during his high school days.
The Oak Park years also provided him with an interest in nature and the outdoors, thanks to his father, Dr. Clarence Hemingway. He also learned to appreciate the cultural realm from his mother, Grace, an accomplished musician.
The Hemingway Museum is an ideal starting point for learning more about his formative years and the rest of his rich life.
The museum features letters, vintage photographs, and memorabilia collected and donated by the Hemingway family. The exhibits are divided into various chapters of Hemingway's life - the Oak Park Years, 1899-1919; his love of the natural world; the eye of the writer; and his experiences in World War I. "Hemingway and Hollywood" explores how his works were adapted for the silver screen.
Some of the most intriguing areas pertain to Agnes Von Kurowsky, his love in Milan, Italy, and model for Catherine Barkley in "A Farewell to Arms." Ms. Kurowsky's "Dear John" letter is on display - a letter that profoundly affected Hemingway's life after his return to Oak Park.
Page: 1 | 2 
