I thought the Epic Veteran Writers battle was going to be a ‘slam dunk’ for three time veteran Ernest Hemingway: World War I veteran- Italian Ambulance Corps, ‘hang-around’ Spanish Civil War and World War II vet.

Writing award winner, big time money earner- $5,000 for magazine pieces during the 1930’s, when a workingman’s yearly salary was $1,000.

Hemingway lived a life most people can only dream: making a mountain of money doing what he liked, writing some of the greatest American novels, go to war, big game hunting in Africa, drunken brawling, go to war again, fly fishing, more writing, deep sea fishing off the Cuban coast, once again goes to war, world traveling and more drunken bawling.

He was also married a few times and had several children, whom were not quiet as messed up; but messed up none the less.

I invented a Hemingway tribute term: ‘going Hemingway’-  which I define: “writing while drinking a whiskey, only wearing your t-shirt and under-wear”.

Sometimes I ‘go Hemingway’.

Inebriated inspiration; no inhibitions.

Hemingway was also a complete mess…mental health issues- which sadly did not skip a generation, many marital issues, money issues…more later.