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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 17 February 2020
Writer AE Hotchner, friend to Hemingway, Newman, dead at 102

By HILLEL ITALIE Associated right now: 'How do you like
Press National Writer it now, gentlemen?' Things
A.E. Hotchner, a well-trav- he said. You're sort of born
eled author, playwright with that I guess, a kind of
and gadabout whose tape that runs through your
street smarts and famous head."
pals led to a loving, but Their relationship was also
litigated memoir of Ernest professional. Hotchner of-
Hemingway, business ad- ten served as his agent,
ventures with Paul New- helped edit his bullfighting
man and a book about his book "The Dangerous Sum-
Depression-era childhood mer" and helped come up
that became a Steven So- with the title for the posthu-
derbergh film, died Satur- mous release of Heming-
day at age 102. way's memoir about Paris,
He died at his home in "A Moveable Feast." In the
Westport, Connecticut, ac- 1950s and early '60s, he
cording to his son, Timothy adapted several Heming-
Hotchner, who did not im- way stories for television, in-
mediately know the cause cluding "The Battler," which
of death. led to his first meeting with
A. E. Hotchner, known to Newman.
friends as "Ed" or "Hotch," James Dean had agreed to
was an impish St. Louis na- star as the titular faded ex-
tive and ex-marbles champ boxer, but Newman took
who read, wrote and hus- the role after Dean died in
tled himself out of poverty a car crash. Newman and
and went on to publish Hotchner became friends,
more than a dozen books, pranksters, fishing buddies,
befriend countless celebri- neighbors and business
ties and see his play, "The partners. When the actor
White House," performed wanted to sell his home-
at the real White House for made salad dressing at
President Bill Clinton. some local shops, he called
He was a natural fit for on "Hotch" to help out.
Elaine's, the former Man- "That was just a joke,"
hattan nightspot for the Hotchner told the AP in
famous and the near-fa- FILE - In this Jan. 22, 2019, file photo, Ernest Hemingway's close friend and biographer, A.E. Hotch- 2005. "It was something on
ner, talks about his friendship with Hemingway at his home in Westport, Conn.
mous, and contributed the Associated Press the fly. 'Let's put up $40,000
text for "Everyone Comes to and we'll be businessmen.'"
Elaine's," an illustrated his- the magazine's publisher, ner settled in New York and drank and attended bull- Their caper turned into the
tory. Hotchner's other works Condé Nast, for libel and became an editor at Cos- fights. They lived through multimillion-dollar New-
included the novel "The in 2005 was awarded some mopolitan, and worked on Hemingway's inspiring highs man's Own nonprofit em-
Man Who Lived at the Ritz," $87,000, plus court costs, by literary fiction. and fatal lows, chronicled pire of salad dressing,
bestselling biographies of a jury in London. One submission was J.D. by Hotchner in "Papa popcorn, lemonade and
Doris Day and Sophia Lo- The son of a furrier who Salinger's "Needle On a Hemingway," which came assorted recipes; all pro-
ren, and a musical, "Let went broke during the De- Scratchy Phonograph Re- out in 1966 and has been ceeds went to charity, no-
'Em Rot!" co-written with Cy pression, Aaron Edward cord," a World War II story translated into more than tably the Hole in the Wall
Coleman. Hotchner was born in 1917 the author gave to Hotch- 25 languages. Gang Camp for kids with
In his 90s, he completed an in St. Louis, a city he would ner under the condition that But the book has a trou- life-threatening illnesses.
upbeat book of essays on recall with deep affection nothing — not a comma — bled history. Hemingway's After Newman's death
aging, "O.J. in the Morning, despite times so dire he be altered. Hotchner, who widow, Mary Hemingway, in 2008, Hotchner wrote
G&T at Night." When he was claimed to have eaten pa- had been friendly with Sa- sued unsuccessfully to stop about his friend in "Paul and
100, he wrote the detective per to fight hunger. Hotch- linger, came through — al- publication, alleging that Me." Other projects in re-
novel "The Amazing Adven- ner wrote about his youth in most. The actual story was Hotchner had violated the cent years included a col-
tures of Aaron Broom." At "King of the Hill," published in printed intact, but Cosmo- privacy of her husband lection of letters between
101, he adapted Heming- 1972 and adapted 20 years politan changed the title to and herself. She was report- himself and Hemingway
way's "The Old Man and later into a Soderbergh film "Blue Melody." edly upset that he contra- and a reissue of his Heming-
the Sea" for the stage. of the same name. Salinger never spoke to dicted her contention that way memoir. In 2013, he
He was a memorable sto- Clever and determined, Hotchner again. her husband had only ac- was among the commen-
ryteller — sometimes too Hotchner managed a Around the same time, cidentally shot himself. Crit- tators seen in Shane Saler-
memorable. Hotchner scholarship to Washington however, Hotchner lucked ics, meanwhile, doubted no's documentary about
wrote an article about University, where he and his way into literary histo- the accuracy of the many Salinger.
Elaine's for Vanity Fair that Tennessee Williams both ry. Cosmopolitan wanted long dialogues between Hotchner was married
included an anecdote worked on the school's stu- Hemingway to write an arti- Hotchner and Hemingway. three times, most recently
about director Roman Po- dent magazine. Hotchner cle about "The Future of Lit- "Once you learn the to actress Virginia Kiser, and
lanski making advances on then joined the Air Force, a erature" and sent Hotchner rhythms of speech of a per- was the father of three chil-
a woman on the way to the time he recalled good-na- to Cuba to track him down. son, the actual words reso- dren. He had numerous an-
funeral of his wife, Sharon turedly in the memoir "The So began a friendship that nate with you," Hotchner imals over the years, includ-
Tate, who was murdered in Day I Fired Alan Ladd, and lasted until Hemingway's explained during a 2005 ing peacocks, pedigreed
1969 by Charles Manson's Other World War II Adven- suicide, in 1961. From Spain interview with The Associ- chickens, and an African
followers. Polanski sued tures." After the war, Hotch- to Idaho, they hunted, ated Press. "I can hear him parrot named Ernie. q