Whiskered Away: Hemingway’s Charming Key West Writing Retreat
“I want to get to Key West and away from it all,” declared Ernest Hemingway.1
There’s an undertone of longing, even desperation, to those words. As if Key West were the answer to every problem in the world. In true Hemingway style, that short, declarative sentence sure packs a punch.
But in 1928, Hemingway probably never imagined those words would spring so readily from his lips. He had just been in Paris and Havana, Cuba – both of which inspired him to pen some of his best-known novels. Being back stateside must have seemed anticlimactic. Especially when he got the news the arrival of his Ford Roadster in Key West had been delayed.
Apologetic for the hiccup, the Ford dealership offered to accommodate Hemingway and his new bride, Pauline, in an apartment above their showroom while they waited for the car. During their impromptu three week stay, Hemingway and Pauline fell in love with Key West and its people: in particular, the Thompsons.2
Only two days after meeting Charles on the Key West docks, Hemingway inscribed a copy of The Sun Also Rises: “To Charles Thompson from his friend, Ernest Hemingway, Key West, 1928.”3
Friends, already.
Indeed, Charles’ wife, Lorine, who became Pauline’s lifelong friend, said the two men were as close as brothers. Like his love for Key West, Hemingway’s friendship with Charles became one constant in his storm-tossed life.
In addition to finding friendship, Hemingway also finished the novel he had started on the way from Cuba: A Farewell to Arms. Inspired by his time in World War One, the novel was the magnum opus of the Lost Generation.
What started as a day trip stretched into almost a decade. What began as a visit blazed into a vivacious love. Key West had become Hemingway’s home.
Perhaps there’s a hint of Key West in the line, “When I saw her I was in love with her.”
Hemingway House & Museum
“Where a man feels at home. . .is where he’s meant to go.”
In 1931, Pauline’s generous Uncle Gus bought a Spanish Colonial house on Whitehead Street for her and Hemingway. They were officially “freshwater conchs” – Key West residents not born on the island.4
Today, the doors of the house where Hemingway lived and wrote For Whom the Bells Tolls, To Have and Have Not, and The Green Hills of Africa are open to you. Affectionately called “Papa,” you can almost imagine the man welcoming you inside, smiling beneath his white beard and inevitably offering you a martini.
(A look-alike tour guide also helps complete the effect.)
Like Hemingway’s sentences, the house is simple but well punctuated in its furnishings. There’s no frivolous décor to distract you from really living. Just the bare necessities laid out in crisp cleanness and a few mementos from world travels to inspire you upon inspection. And a personal library, of course.
The library is of especial interest, as the books nestled in the shelves are actually part of Hemingway’s personal collection.
It’s fascinating to see what piqued his interest, to see what creative and nonfiction works inspired his own wordsmithing. Some tomes look particularly well-worn and fragile, like City For Conquest, with its bent and torn dust-jacket. Did Hemingway buy it used, or does the wear denote a personal favorite, often read by the man himself? (And more importantly, did Hemingway ever watch the movie adaptation of City for Conquest starring the impeccable James Cagney??)
Feel free to ask your knowledgeable tour guide! Although the Hemingway house can be toured on your own (with informational placards giving you the lowdown along the way), the 30 minute guided tour really brings Hemingway and his home to life because the guides here are truly passionate about Papa!
Whether you go it alone or with a guide, be sure to check out the display dedicated to Hemingway’s beloved ship, the Pilar, in the living room and Hemingway’s trusty typewriter in his Key West writing retreat. You can almost hear the keys still clacking, the echoing instrument of a genius writer. . .
Oh, and when you’re upstairs, be sure to keep an eye out for something furry sleeping on the ornate master bed!
Pool & Garden
Outside the Hemingway House sprawls a gorgeous garden and luxurious swimming pool – a rare amenity for the 1930s!
It was the first in-ground pool of Key West. Built during the final years of the Great Depression, it cost Hemingway a breath-taking $20,000.5 (In today’s money, that’d be around $370,000!6)
The story goes that Hemingway took a penny from his pocket and pressed it into the wet cement of the pool’s patio, declaring with a strained laugh: “Here, take the last penny I’ve got!” Even if the quote is apocryphal, the coin is still embedded there today so that you can see the legendary cent for yourself.
It’s easy to imagine Papa lounging by the poolside, tickling the ears of that furball who was sleeping on his bed. . .
Papa’s Polydactyl “Purr Factories”
Behind every good writer is a great cat.
Hemingway’s first cat, the six-toed (polydactyl) Snow White, was gifted to him by a ship’s captain in the 1930s while he was living in Key West.7 Sailors believed the many-toed “mitten cats” were good luck and better equipped to keep their balance on stormy seas.8 Hemingway adored Snow White, so, naturally, his cat collection didn’t stop with one little white kitten.
“One cat just leads to another,” he quipped. He eventually had around 50 cats at his residence in Cuba, so the statement certainly originated from experience.9
Today, the Hemingway House staff carries on the tradition of having many cats – around 60! – which really makes the property feel like Hemingway’s Key West home.
These polydactyls have become so linked with their former patron that they’re often simply referred to as “Hemingway Cats.” About half of the kitties here have extra digits, but all of them carry the polydactyl gene and may produce multi-toed kittens down the line. That’s a lot of toe-beans!
Just as Papa allowed his felines free reign of the place, today, whiskered friends can be found on the bed upstairs, lounging by the pool or romping in the garden. Some of these six-toed sweethearts are even descendants of the original Snow White.10
(Photo: Jim Lukach Via Flickr)
The Hemingway cats are well looked after, each one receiving routine veterinary care. Each cat also receives the name of a famous person – another Hemingway tradition! They’re no strangers to visitors, so that you can count on a cuddle and some great selfies with the likes of Ginger Rogers, Rita Hayworth, and Alfred Hitchcock.
As you walk through the garden, probably with a kitten underfoot, follow the path to a clearing of cobblestones etched with names. Tigger. Errol Flynn. Gremlin. Honored in their own cemetery, these are the Hemingway cats who already lived out their nine lives on the Hemingway property.
The critters that brought Hemingway so much joy will be sure to brighten your day, too, making your visit to the Hemingway House is a purrfect one!
Although Ernest Hemingway moved away from Key West in 1939, he was to be forever linked with its sunny shores. He retained the title of his quaint, Spanish Colonial villa until he died in 1961, taking his own life just before his 62nd birthday.
In 1968, the Hemingway house was added to the National Registry of Historic Places, ensuring the protection of Hemingway’s legacy in Key West.11
Today, Hemingway’s many novels, short stories, poems, and cats live on, continuously helping people find the brilliant man from the Lost Generation.
Have you been to the Hemingway House? Which cat(s) did you meet? Let us know in the comments below!
Want to live like Papa? Join in the fun of Hemingway Days 2021!
Cover Image
Photo: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Recommended Gear for this Adventure
Disclaimer: We earn a commission if you click any of the links above and make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
