Hemingway, Ernest Autograph Letter Signed (“Papa”) to his friend Jane Mason, recuperatingfrom an accident in Doctrs’ Hospital in New York Havana, Cuba, n.d. [july 1933] Sometime in June, Hemingway’s friend Jane Mason — the beautiful wifeof George Grant Mason, an offical of Pan American Airways, injured her back in a fall (or jump) from the low balcony of her home in Havana. Only a few days earlier, she, her son Tony, and and Hemingway’s ons had been in a car accident and narrowly escaped serious injuries. At this period, Hemingway had recently finished the collection of stories he called WINNER TAKE NOTHING, and was spending his days marlin fishing in the Gulf Stream. He writes to his friend: “I feel so terribly damned bad about them having to operate on your back that I can’t write you. But if I don’t write you’d probably never get it. So here goes…The sky is full of the wool clouds that come after a hurricane has gone somewhere else. My head full of slightly wooliness of how I feel after catching 343 lb. Cartero (striped) yesterday — hooking him on an empty stomach and a hangover…He jumped 44 times — landed him in an hour and 45 minutes…Landed big one (468) in an hour and 5 — Fought one 2 hours and 20 that was most wonderful I’ve ever seen — Hooked him…he took us, looked up, him jumping like the Grand National — to way past the Hotel Nacional… then sounded — after an hour and a 1/2 I had the double line on the reel and the leader out of water — he dediced to go away and took out nearly all the line in one huge, long, clean jump after another, getting ahead of us and cutting toward Cojinar! Jumped 10 times …so cockeyed beautiful — then he went down and circled down there all round under water — he sounded 900 feet — had to stand up with him all the time — Carlos [Gutierrez] holding me around the waist and rubbing sweat out of eyes and then off of schnozzle — worked him up and had him almost at the boat — Se fue (or how do you spell it?) 2 hours 20 minutes — on three different days fought big one over 5 hours — we caught 3 finally and 54 altogether — 468 (black) - 343 (striped) — 140 (striped). Lost huge black one when cut line with the propeller with him on the surface circling slow — ready to gaff — Josie lost sight of it in the sun - that was day you left. They run as much as the small ones and make a smash like a depth bomb when they hit…” “Last night we all got drunk when we went over to hang the fish up…to take pictures — then came back with him and sat on the top of the boat and got drunker — listening to the band on the Argentine training ship — end of the season — sat there from about 6 till 9…Everyone tight including a hustler Woodward friend of yours I believe…he came around to get dope on how we fish — He had some damned good dope of his own…” Hemingway recounts some drunken horseplay around the docks (“all in the spirit of gay fun”), then “returned to the hotel after sentimental farewells to our San Francisco water front — ordered a rare steak with papas fritas - they brought it — I thanked them - and woke at 5am to see the steak and all the papas on the table beside the bed — untouched, unhonored and unappetizing…So how are you you poor bloody Diving Contest Winner take Nothing? We are as I write — hanged over…Sent Max [Perkins] the book Mss [WINNER TAKE NOTHING]. Haven’t heard from him — I hope you’re no9t having such a hellish time as I know you are having…good luck daughter — by god it’s time you had a little…Much love from us all - Papa” Folio. 7 pages in pencil on 4 sheets of tan, unruled paper. Two-inch marginal tear in first sheet, and two small center fold holes in each sheet, not affecting legibility; in custom morocco-backed folder Price: USD 9,500.00 other currencies   order no. 31677    inquire

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