Rubbing Elbows with Patrick Hemingway at the PEN New England Awards – JFK Library

March 25, 2013

Yesterday, Sunday, March 24, I spent a few minutes trying to live vicariously as a literary genius. I was at the John F. Kennedy Library on the Campus of UMass Boston where the PEN New England organization was honoring a bunch of writers. Among them – though not being honored – was Patrick Hemingway, the second son of Ernest Hemingway.

You know, Ernest, the guy who wrote the Sun Also Rises, The Old Man and the Sea, The Garden of Eden, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and others. Well, his second son was on hand to present the 2013 PEN/Hemingway award to Kevin Powers, The Yellow Birds (Little, Brown and Company).

Well, Patrick Hemingway was spritely and honored his name well while reading from various books to the large audience. He made me wonder what I’d be doing at age 84 and if I’d be able to pop up to a podium and read to a crowd. I hope so.

Here are some photos from the event. They can also be found in one of my Flickr sets and can be used with permission and link back to this site.