6.06 Ernest Hemingway: a Newspaper Man at Heart

The Virtual Times

Sports and Leisure

"On The Star you were forced to learn to write a simple declarative sentence. That's useful to anyone.''
— Hemingway, The Paris Review, Spring 1958

"Papa" Hemingway employed a simplicity in his writing, which contrasts the writing of the Romantic era. Like most writers, his style was the result of various influences in his lifetime. The source of Hemingway's simple style can be traced back to his time as a reporter for The Kansas City Star. While employed there, he used a "Copy Style" sheet created by C. G. "Pete'' Wellington, the assistant city editor at the time. While Hemingway's career at the newspaper was brief, he later noted its influence on his writing style.

Just after their marriage, Ernest and his first wife, Elizabeth Hadley, left for Paris. Without a steady job they relied on Elizabeth's trust fund and lived in a tiny apartment. It is during this time Hemingway began writing short stories and perfected his writing style. With the help of Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein, fellow American expatriate writers, Hemingway learned to eliminate extra adjectives and adverbs and replace them with one "perfect" word. He also learned to write "true-to-life" and found his love of sport a good match for this style.

Part A: Hemingway's Writing Style

Visit Ernest Hemingway and The Kansas City Star to read about Hemingway's career with the newspaper and his writing style.

"Copy Style" sheet rules from The Kansas Star

Never use old slang. Slang, to be enjoyable, must be fresh.
Eliminate every superfluous word, such as: Funeral services will be at two o'clock Tuesday, not The funeral services will be held at the hour of two o'clock Tuesday. Avoid the use of adjectives, especially such extravagant ones as splendid, gorgeous, grand, magnificent, and so on.
Be careful of the word also. It usually modifies the word it follows closest. "He, also, went" means "He, too, went." "He went also" means he went in addition to taking some other action.
Be careful of the word "only." "He only had $10" means he alone was the possessor of such wealth; "He had only $10," means the ten was all the cash he possessed.
In writing of animals, use the neuter gender except when you are writing of a pet that has a name.

Now let's see how the "Copy Style" sheet compares with contemporary standards for journalism.

Read Writing for the Web to find a list of modern guidelines.
Open and complete the Writing Chart.
Once you have completed the chart, continue to Part B.

Part B: The Sun Also Rises

Read the excerpt from The Sun Also Rises.
Open and answer in complete sentences the questions on The Sun Also Rises page.