The Paris Wife, A New Low, and a Walk Around Town - May 28

I awoke early, 4:30 a.m., way before our coffeemaker prepares the morning brew, and surveyed the rooms that are getting more attention every day.  It felt good. Inasmuch as I'm returning to CMU next weekend for a Friends of the Library luncheon to honor and hear Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife, I thought I had better get cracking on the book.  So, with a relief that I wouldn't be treated to warfare and military tactics, I delved into it.  The wife in question is Hadley Richardson, first wife of the famous writer Ernest Hemingway.  McLain's work is one of fiction, but I immediately was drawn into it.  Very engaging way she uses a first person narrative (Hadley's voice) to convey the development of the relationship, but also much about her (Hadley's) life apart from Ernest.  I got through 40 pages in a flash and am confident that I can get to the end of it before the luncheon.  No foot dragging over the finer points of historiography!  (I was curious, though, when she described a spaghetti dinner being prepared by Hadley and her sister in St. Louis, in 1920, whether that was an anachronism -- whether upper middle class families consumed spaghetti in 1920 -- something for me to check on).

One thing I did check on was the wedding announcement of Ernest and Hadley.  Sure enough, I found it in a digitized newspaper.

Oak Park Leaves, September 17, 1921, p. 40

In those Chronicle of Higher Education issues I went through I found notice of the publication of Ernest Hemingway's early correspondence -- a herculean effort, apparently, and one that was destined to create a more balanced view of Hemingway, according to the editors.  I plan to ask Ms. McLain if she was guided or influenced by them...

***

Reluctantly I put down The Paris Wife and padded off to begin the exercise routine.  Managed to stay on the elliptical for 800 calories, third day running, and at weigh in, was at 170 even.  Fabulous.

***

I had in mind a brisk walk downtown but a storm rolled in with drenching rain.  By noon, though, the system was on its way out, though no sun peeped through.  I had a list of things I wanted to get at our local State Street Hardware store.  I also was looking for a new lens cap for my 35 mm camera, and wanted to pick up a bottle of Triple Sec, an orange liqueur that I occasionally add to my green or white tea.  So rain over, I laced up an old pair of walking shoes, threw on my hoody, grabbed a canvas bag for my umbrella (in case the rain wasn't quite over) and headed out the door.  The walk was brisk and it felt good to stretch out beyond the stride that my elliptical permits.  In no time I was across town and at my destination (MapQuest rates the one-way distance as1.01 mile), got my things (sans lens cap, have to try again) and instead of retracing my steps, went slightly out of my way to take the RiverWalk, a nicely done path put in by our city along the Muskegon River.  I regretted not having brought my camera for along the deserted route I encounter four Canada geese with eight or nine goslings.  

Arriving home I set to work at doing the little repairs around the house for which the trip provided supplies.  

The sun never shone, but better weather is forecast later in the week. We shall see.