3:00 - 4:30 PM (OPPL, Veterans Room, Second Floor)

This year is the 100th anniversary of a strikingly original collection of short stories and accompanying vignettes that marked Ernest Hemingway's American debut, called In Our Time. It is fitting that we welcome the editor of the Norton Critical Edition of In Our Time, Professor J. Gerald Kennedy for this year’s Hemingway Birthday Lecture titled, The Rough Edges of In Our Time.

“This concise yet comprehensive edition of Hemingway’s first major work, In Our Time (1925), offers an accessible introduction, an authoritative text, and a valuable selection of contextualizing materials. In a single volume, it brings together a relevant sample of Hemingway’s early journalism, correspondence, initial reviews of the book, and an indispensable selection of recent criticism.” —Zena Meadowsong, Rowan University

The event is FREE, but ask you to please register here so we can make the proper arrangements.

Tonight, we take a casual tour of the Hemingway Business District as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of a strikingly original collection of short stories and accompanying vignettes that marked Ernest Hemingway's American debut in 1925, called In Our Time. So take the time to read and reflect upon this classic collection of stories and join us for refreshments and engaging discussions at each location.

6:00pm Reading 1: Indian Camp - Yoga Loft, 115 N Oak Park Ave.

An interpretative discussion on "Indian Camp" in which Hemingway examines themes of birth, death, cultural and gender dynamics, and the loss of innocence through the perspective of a young boy named Nick Adams.

Renee Malknecht, a former literature teacher and current volunteer at the Hemingway Foundation, taught In Our Time and A Farewell to Arms at Aviano Air Base in Italy, near where Hemingway was wounded in WWI. Malknecht believes Hemingway’s ambiguity in these interconnected short stories allows for multiple interpretations. She has a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota.

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7:00pm Reading 2: Soldiers Home - Dandelion Bookstore 139 S Oak Park Ave.

An interpretative discussion of "Soldier's Home," where Hemingway examines the theme of a returning veteran's readjustment to civilian life after experiencing the trauma of war. The story addresses isolation, disconnection, and the challenges of reintegrating into a society that may not fully understand the psychological effects of combat.

Nancy W. Sindelar, PhD has over 30 years of experience in education. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Hemingway Foundation and has authored three books on education and two Hemingway biographies. Nancy has presented at various international conferences and keynoted the Hemingway Festivals. Learn more at nancysindelar.com.

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8:00pm Reading 3: Big Two-Hearted River - Scoville Building 137 N Oak Park Ave.

An interpretative discussion of "Big Two-Hearted River" and the deleted ending, "On Writing."

J. Gerald Kennedy, Boyd Professor of English Emeritus, is a former chair of the Department of English. His Hemingway related books are Imagining Paris (Yale 1993), French Connections (St Martins 1998) co-edited with Jackson Bryer, and the Norton Critical Edition of In Our Time (2022). I was advisory editor for Vols 1-3 of the Cambridge Letters of Ernest Hemingway, and a co-editor of the final volumes of the letters, 1957-59, and 1959-61. 

*A copy of In Our Time is available for purchase at the Hemingway Birthplace Museum.