These Ernest Hemingway Letters Highlight an Incredibly Traumatic Moment in His Life & They’re Currently Up for Auction

Giovana Gelhoren
·2 min read
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As one of the most influential authors in history, Ernest Hemingway‘s life has been of worldwide interest from the years he was alive to all the decades since. And, as revealed by some recently-auctioned letters, Hemingway went through much more than heartbreak and emotional turmoil, the author suffered physical ailments too.

In the letters, currently available for auction at auctioneers Nate D Sanders, The Old Man and the Sea author writes to his lawyer Alfred Rice and goes into detail about how he’s doing after frightening plane crashes. According to the Daily Mail, Hemingway’s handwritten account came after two crashes while he was traveling to Africa with his wife, Mary.

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Per the outlet, the first crash happened in Uganda when they were on a sightseeing tour of the Murchison Falls. Later on, after everyone walked out of the crash somewhat unscathed, Hemingway and Mary boarded a rescue plane and it caught on fire and crashed on take off.

In the letter, from 17 April 1954 (misdated as 53), Hemingway started off talking about money and pending payments, then shared how he and Mary were doing. “Couldn’t write letters much on [account] of [my] right arm which was burned to the bone 3rd degree and it would cramp up on me (still does a little but all burns ok),” Hemingway wrote to Rice. “But fingers burned and left-hand 3rd degree too, so couldn’t type.”

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In addition to the burns, Hemingway added that the crash resulted in some serious internal injuries too. “The trouble is inside where [my] right kidney was ruptured and liver and spleen injured,” he wrote. “We’ll get them checked out at this clinic where they have the best man at that stuff in Europe.”

Mary, on the other hand, had a more traumatic response to the incidents. “Mary had a big shock and her memory [is] not too hot yet and it will take quite a time to sort things out,” Hemingway wrote.

“Tell the Dept. that I am more valuable to them alive than dead and at present am trying [to] stay alive,” he continued. “I am weak from so much internal bleeding. Have been a good boy and tried to rest […] but having to fight the fire.”

These letters to Rice and many others from Hemingway are available on the auctioneer’s website. Minimum bids vary between $2,000 and $19,250.

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