Ken Burns Unpacks Ernest Hemingway's Facade of Masculinity

Ken Burns navigates the gap between the macho persona and the real inner life of his documentary subject, Ernest Hemingway. Dig deeper into the author's complex life and works in Ken's latest PBS Film Series, "Hemingway." #Colbert #KenBurns #Hemingway

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[NebraskaWriter]

If you want to understand why Hemingway was so powerful in his writing it is because he used and pioneered a technique called the objective correlative. He described it as “the sequence of motion and fact that creates the emotion.”
Prior to Hemingway, writers in the 1800s would provide summaries of scenes. It was as if the writer was looking through a keyhole at the scene and giving the reader a summary of what she saw. In Hemingway’s work, he tried to let the reader see the scene, to provide not a summary but food for the senses.
Instead of telling the reader what to think about what was happening in the story, Hemingway shows the reader what is happening. The novelist does not put her self between the reader and the scene. The novelist shows the reader firsthand the scene. That is much harder to do. That’s why when you read, for example, a Hemingway short story such as “Hills like White Elephants”, there is no summary telling the reader what to think. If you had been in the bar in Spain watching the couple have the argument, you would not have anybody telling you what they were arguing about. You would have to infer that based on what you saw and perceived. You would have to detect yourself that they were talking about her getting an abortion. The difference is, providing those sensory details directly without the writer stepping in to interpret, creates stories that never get old.
If you read biographies of Hemingway, you see that often his stories in the first draft were full of telling. But as he rewrote, he replaced the telling with showing. There lies his genius and the reason we read him to this day.

[russellcampbell]

Watching Ken's doco on baseball. I am an Aussie and don't follow American baseball but I found the series riveting.

[annaiorio]

Wow! Really like Stephen's interview style! He let's his guest speak! Doesn't interrupt or talk over them. Refreshing

[elvinhayes]

Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms" is heartfelt, touching, and profoundly anti-war. It's my favorite novel, and his best work.

[Blahhhhhhhhhh-no]

The covid format of seeing people at home is always interesting. It is comforting to see Ken Burns in the most Ken Burns-eque room imaginable.

[brianchristian]

30+ years later, it's nice to have my AP highschool English thesis validated!

[hongkongcantonese]

This is the kind of interview that not only illuminates but inspires. Life is much more than what we imagine.

[nicoleschaller]

Ken burns may be the only person to leave quarantine with a better haircut than when we entered

[donovanjones]

The internal conflicts and insecurities Hemingway clearly had when it came to his identity is part of what makes his works so emotionally potent

[hartnurz]

Ohhh, the intellect, the humor, the insight. Soooo lovely. Both of them. Thank you.

[kaymuldoon]

I almost didn’t recognize him with his hair combed back off his forehead. He still looks incredibly young, even though he’s in his late 60s.

[Dan-ntyb]

The Civil War and Vietnam is essential viewing. Absolutely fabulous.👍🏾👍🏾

[geoffreyfeinberg]

He so's knowledgeable. He's a legend. How many documentaries has he done.

[petedog]

Ken burns is the greatest historian and documentarian in the modern era. I learned more about our "real history" from him than I learned in any institution of learning. He has the ability to make you feel the emotions and complexity of our past. it is not just the regurgitated pablum form the dominant culture of 100 years ago, like in textbooks. In other words, WASP history. Even that mullet is iconic.

[hughjaass]

Once again I am reminded why Ken Burns is my Fav documentarian. #baseball #civilwar

[NewMessage]

You just know that if Hemmingway was still alive, he would tear up watching cat videos though.

[bookshopgirlilmariel]

my brain just got a massive charge. Thank you for this eloquent insight, can't wait to watch the documentary

[perrygerardorobles]

What I most revere about Mr. H is his experience. He wore many hats.

That’s why I wanted to be like him. But the main reason I worshipped him was because he reminded me of my father.

Adventurer.

Willing to go and do what others don’t have the COURAGE to do.

[couchpotato]

Ken Burns is one of the few guests Steven can't interupt. You just have to let him go on his"process"

[Chris-iryy]

Hemingway was definitely an Observer. I recall a writing of his about the traumas of being the considered a smart child from a sociological perspective.