Recently uncovered among a private collection of papers from Hemingway’s time in Cuba, this brief but evocative letter offers a rare glimpse into the author’s quieter days at Finca Vigía. Written in April of 1952, just months before the publication of The Old Man and the Sea, the letter reveals a side of Hemingway we seldom see—playful, reflective, and disarmingly tender.
Here, Hemingway writes to an old friend about the rhythms of island life, the rough joy of volleyball in the afternoon heat, and the way a simple game can strip things down to what matters. With its signature clean prose and understated insight, this letter feels less like a historical document and more like a conversation—one carried on salt air and the thud of a well-hit ball.
Take a moment to read it. It’s Hemingway, unmistakably.
Finca Vigía, San Francisco de Paula, Cuba
April 18, 1952
Dear Jack,
The mornings are still good here. The air is sharp early and the palms don’t move. I write until the light goes flat. After that we drink a little, and sometimes we play volleyball with the boys from the village. It isn’t much of a game—ball’s too soft and the net’s rotting—but it keeps you honest. You can’t fake anything in the sun.
One of the boys took a ball to the face last week and bled from the nose. He laughed about it. Blood on the sand and he laughed. That’s how you know he’ll be all right.
You used to play well when we were young. I remember that. You had a hard serve, mean and low, and you never talked during play. That was good. Men shouldn’t talk too much when they’re working or playing. That’s when the lies come out.
The fishing is poor now but the rum is good. I’ve started something new on the page, and it might be worth the trouble. You’d like it here. The light is clean. The days are simple.
If you find time, come down. Bring tobacco if you have it. The good kind. We’ll play until dark and then drink until morning.
Yours,
Ernest
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