Hemingway's Tower
A poem about writing drunk vs. sober
Written May 12, 2022.
Hemingway’s Tower
At what point does it become write drunk, edit sober? Or at another, to write sober, edit drunk? Or to write drunk, edit drunk? Then further, to write sober, then edit sober? Ernest may have missed something.
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Today’s writing
“Write Drunk, edit sober.”
Often, this quote is attributed to Mr. Hemingway, but it doesn’t come from him at all. Here is a great read from Writer’s Digest explaining further, if you’re into that sort of thing.
I had friends in art school and throughout college, and even beyond, that would often quote this to me. It never felt right when I read Hemingway’s work. How was he able to pour so much care into his craft, speak often of the craft, love it, potentially die for it, but it all came from booze? I was happy to be correct in this matter, and it settled my mind on the time I’ve spent in his work.
Here is an actual quote of his:
“The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed.” —Ernest Hemingway
I wonder if you have stumbled across any other misattributed quotes in your own creative or intellectual life. Do you have a favorite?
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Today’s art
From April 10 to May 15, I’ll be sharing my work on a project entitled 36 Days of Type.
I will be basing my alphabet on the work of Koloman Moser, of Vienna Secession fame in honor of my alma mater, the Savannah College of Art and Design. Each year, the design department did a show of the best student work in homage to the artists that ‘seceded’ from Vienna’s Academy in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Some of the artists who became secessionists were Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, now household names.
“2023 Edition of 36 Days of Type is finally here! From April 10 to May 15, every designer, illustrator or artist is invited to share their own creative take on the letters and numbers from the Latin alphabet and share it with the world, as a global and simultaneous act of creativity exploring the boundaries of typography.” —from the 36 Days of Type website
When the 36 days are over, I’ll go back to being an editorial illustrator 2022’s works. Thanks for following along with me. If you’re on instagram, you can follow my work here. And you can follow what I’m sure will be an awesome curation of the best work from this project at 36 Days of Type. Maybe a few of mine will make it there too!
I’m also going to include quotes from designers, letterers, and fellow graphic nerds as often as possible. There’s some witty ones in this world, so this should be fun to share. If you have a favorite designer or artist, I’d love to hear your favorite quote in the comments section. I always find it fascinating to hear which quotes stay with us along our independent journeys.
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If you can’t tell, I love questions at typaphobe. So, ask away! Discussion will only make the publication better, so I look forward to hearing from you.
“Art does not reflect what is seen, rather it makes the hidden visible.”
—Paul Klee