October 14, 2004

Finca Vigia

McArthur at The Misanthropist links to a sad NY Times article about Hemingway's house in Cuba -- Finca Vigia -- where he did a lot of his writing. bq. "...Nature has been hostile to the house over the years, experts say, with rain and creeping vegetation penetrating the walls and the foundation. The roof leaks, the walls are turning green with mold, the floors are buckling and termites are devouring the wooden frame. The bedroom where Hemingway wrote some of his greatest works, including "The Old Man and the Sea," is so close to collapsing that its furniture has been moved into storage. bq. "We have cared for this house with great affection for many years, because we Cubans consider Hemingway one of ours," said Gladys Rodriguez, president of the Hemingway International Institute of Journalism in Havana and one of the principal caretakers of the author's legacy in Cuba. bq. "We will keep doing all that we can," she said. "But we cannot deny that we need help. This museum legally belongs to Cuba, but morally it pertains to the United States."..." McArthur's reply to this last line is priceless: bq. ...communism being OK till you need some help with the bills... Posted by DaveH at October 14, 2004 12:32 PM