March 31, 2008

Valerie Hemingway, author of Running with the Bulls, will share stories of the two years she spent with legendary author Ernest Hemingway when she visits the Library of Michigan in downtown Lansing at 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 23.  As part of her presentation, Hemingway will answer questions and sign copies of Running with the Bulls, a memoir of her years as Ernest Hemingway's secretary and her later marriage to his son, Gregory Hemingway.  The event - sponsored by the Michigan Humanities Council, the Library of Michigan and the Library of Michigan Foundation - is free and open to the public, including school groups and book clubs.  Running with the Bulls will be for sale in the Michigan Library and Historical Center store.

"I'm really looking forward to visiting Michigan, a place I first heard about from Ernest Hemingway's lips," said Valerie Hemingway. "He never lost his affection for the state where the happiest moments of his childhood were spent. Change is the hallmark of passing time, but Hemingway's Michigan will remain as long as language exists."

Attendees will also have the opportunity to see "Up North with the Hemingways," a traveling exhibit coming to the Library of Michigan from April 18 to May 5.  Focusing on the influence of northern Michigan on Ernest Hemingway and The Nick Adams Stories, the exhibit will be set up in the rotunda of the Michigan Library and Historical Center and will be open to the public 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

"Ernest Hemingway's connection to Michigan is a fascinating part of our state's rich literary heritage, and we're pleased to be able to offer this unique glimpse inside his life and work," said State Librarian Nancy Robertson.  "It's also an opportunity to take part in a statewide celebration of one of the world's most renowned authors and the book shaped by his time spent in Michigan."

Valerie Hemingway also will be visiting Hamtramck, Grand Rapids, Marquette, Traverse City and Saginaw from April 24-29 as part of The Great Michigan Read, a community reading program for the entire state.  Another element of this one-book, one-state reading initiative is the "Up North with the Hemingways" exhibit, traveling around the state from September 2007 to July 2008.  The Great Michigan Read is presented by the Michigan Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

With a statewide focus on a single literary masterpiece, Ernest Hemingway's The Nick Adams Stories, The Great Michigan Read encourages Michiganians to read and rediscover literature.  The Nick Adams Stories - chronicling a young man's coming of age in a series of linked short stories, many of which are set in Michigan - was inspired by the author's experiences in Northern Michigan. For resources, events and additional information about The Great Michigan Read, visit www.greatmichiganread.org or call (517) 372-7770.  Copies of The Nick Adams Stories and official bookmarks and reader's guides are available at Meijer, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Schuler Books & Music and partner organizations.

Valerie Danby-Smith was a journalist working in Madrid when she met Ernest Hemingway in 1959.  She served as his secretary from 1959-60, and after the author's death worked for the Hemingway Estate.  She came by the Hemingway name by marrying, and later divorcing, Ernest's youngest son Gregory.  For two decades she worked in publishing and public relations in New York City, including two years as a fiction reviewer for Publishers Weekly. Her articles have appeared in Saturday Review, The New York Times, and Ski Magazine.

The Library of Michigan is part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Historical Center. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL).