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Leicester Hemingway

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Leicester Hemingway
Leicester Hemingway as a child, c. 1917
Leicester Hemingway as a child, c. 1917
Born(1915-04-01)April 1, 1915
Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
DiedSeptember 13, 1982(1982-09-13) (aged 67)
OccupationWriter
SpousesPatricia Shedd, Doris Mae Dunning
Children4
RelativesGrace Hall Hemingway (mother)
Ursula Hemingway (sister)
Ernest Hemingway (brother)

Leicester Clarence Hemingway (April 1, 1915 – September 13, 1982) was an American writer. He was the younger brother of writer Ernest Hemingway and wrote six books, including a first novel entitled The Sound of the Trumpet (1953), based on Leicester's experiences in France and Germany during World War II.

In 1961, Leicester published My Brother, Ernest Hemingway,[1] a biography. The work was well-received and brought Leicester both recognition as a writer in his own right and significant financial rewards. With the capital from the work, Hemingway created the micronation of New Atlantis on a barge off the coast of Jamaica,[2] intended to serve as a marine research headquarters. The project was cut short when New Atlantis was destroyed in a 1966 tropical storm.[3][4]

Early life and family

Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois, to Clarence Edmonds Hemingway, a physician, and Grace Hall Hemingway, a musician. He was the youngest of six siblings, the others being Marcelline (1898 - 1963), Ernest (1899), Ursula (1902 - 1966), Madelaine (1904 - 1995), and Carol (1911 - 2002).

Personal life

He married his first wife Patricia "Patti" Shedd, with whom he had two sons: Jacob Edmonds and Peter. With his second wife Doris Mae Dunning he had two daughters, Anne and author Hilary Hemingway.[5]

Suicide

In 1982, Hemingway committed suicide with a gunshot to the head,[6][7] after having suffered several years from Type II diabetes, which necessitated numerous operations.

New Atlantis

Hemingway founded his micronation of New Atlantis on an 8 foot by 30 foot (2.5 m x 9 m) barge he had towed 12 nautical miles (22 km) out from Jamaica, in July 1964.[8] He utilized the 1856 Guano Islands Act to claim half of the barge as a new nation and half for the United States.[9] Hemingway also "wrote" a constitution, which was a copy of the U.S. Constitution with the words "New Atlantis" substituted for "United States".[8] New Atlantis' purpose was to generate money for oceanographic research by selling coins and stamps.[8] In 1966, the micronation was ravaged by a storm and then ransacked by fishermen.[2][4][8]

References

  1. ^ Hemingway, Leicester (1962). My Brother, Ernest Hemingway (1996: 4, illustrated, reprint ed.). Florida: Pineapple Press. ISBN 978-1-56164-098-0.
  2. ^ a b Turner, William (January 1, 2007). History of Philosophy (3 Vols. Set). Global Vision Publishing House. p. 142. ISBN 9788182202337.
  3. ^ Hale, Russell. "Contents of a Country: Leicester Hemingway's New Atlantis". Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Walker, Lawrence R.; Bellingham, Peter (March 24, 2011). Island Environments in a Changing World. Cambridge University Press. p. 34. ISBN 9781139500265.
  5. ^ Hemingway, John (2007). Strange Tribe. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4617-4994-3. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Michael Largo - Genius and Heroin
  7. ^ Mitang, Herbert (September 15, 1982). "Leicester Hemingway, Writer and Ernest's Brother, is Suicide". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d Johanson, Mark (October 11, 2013). "Create Your Own Country: Australia Leads In The Number Of Micronations; If You're Unhappy With Your Country, Start A New One". International Business Times. Retrieved January 14, 2014.
  9. ^ Hale, Russell. "Harry Ransom Center: Contents of a Country: Leicester Hemingway's New Atlantis". Harry Ransom Center. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2014.

Sources