...THE BEST BY TEST

Has anyone read Hemingway's The Torrents of Spring?

I know, usually it would be silly (← ← what a silly word: "silly") to ask if "anyone" has read a particular Hemingway book, but...well, it's not so absurd to ask about this one, because many people have not read it. In fact (and if you know the history of this book, you understand), most people do not even consider this novel - that is, Hemingway's first novel - to be part of the Hemingway Literary Canon.

And...dear goodness, I am veering off track.

The Torrents of Spring has nothing to do with this entry, except that the title of this entry comes from a line in the book (this line: "BROWN'S BEANERY THE BEST BY TEST"). This entry does, however, have something to do with Hemingway.

Let me go back. Back to...Michael Jackson (a logical transition, no?).

Magic Johnson spoke at Michael Jackson's funeral, and he said something strange. He said that watching Michael Jackson as a singer/performer made him a better basketball player. Sounds absurd, right? Probably is a bit absurd. But...it also makes sense.

See, look at this list. Consider what the members of this list all have in common:

The List
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Ernest Hemingway; Scott Fitzgerald; James Joyce; John Steinbeck; Carson McCullers; Sylvia Plath; J.D. Salinger; Jack Kerouac; Hunter S. Thompson; Cormac McCarthy; Pablo Picasso; Salvador Dali; Bob Dylan; Jimi Hendrix; The Beatles; Led Zeppelin; Lou Reed; Quentin Tarantino; Martin Scorsese; And so on...and on and on and on.

All of the people on this list were blessed with buckets of natural talent. But also, all of these people are notorious for the intense, searing passion they have (or had) for their craft.

Just because you are a writer (or a teacher, or an accountant or an astronaut or what-have-you), it does not mean you can only be inspired by other members of your field. If you find someone who inspires you - someone whose works seem as if they conceal a beating heart of passion and drive and desire - someone who makes you want to jump up and "Do something," well, you should spend time with their works. You should derive energy from their works.

Hang out with THE BEST BY TEST.

Borrow their passion. Put their passion to good use.

Create something beautiful.

Other Places Where I Hang Out:

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(A Delicious Little Pre-Publication Sample Of The Great Lenore)