Monday night The Poet co-chairs a panel along with the author of a new book about life with Hemingway during his days in Cuba. Based on the experiences of Hemingway’s assistant, the memoir provides new insight into Ernest Hemingway’s work and life.

Besides being a professional honor, the presentation also a personal matter for The Poet. In Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway recreated a an actual conversation with his assistant about the most famous dynasty in the history of the game.

“In the other league between Brooklyn and Philadelphia I must take Brooklyn. But then I think of Dick Sisler and those great drives in the old park.”

“There was nothing ever like them. He hits the longest ball I ever seen.”

— Ernest Hemingway, Old Man and the Sea

Dick, George and Dave Sisler, all Hall of Fame players, are relatives of The Poet.

Tonight though, we dine and drink with the author of the forthcoming memoir. And I get to meet the author and Hemingway’s majordomo. Gotta brush up on my Spanish.

Clear signs your’re in a relationship with a writer:

INT. Bedroom – NIGHT

While staring at the same sentence for the last hour on a laptop, a cellphone RINGS. Writer Guy answers it, noting that Caller ID DISPLAYS his girlfriend, THE POET’S phone number.

The Poet: What’s the word for using the first initial of a group of words. Like NEC instead of New England College.

Writer Guy: Acronym?

The Poet: That’s it! It was on the tip of my tongue.

Writer Guy: That’s called aphasia.

Silence.

Writer Guy: Are you writing?

The Poet: Yep. Gotta go. Bye!

Interestingly enough, this led to my own case of aphasia. I can’t come up with a word that really captures the exchange. Must be contagious.

Found an old checklist from 2007, when I began shopping the novel:

Tasks to complete before shopping a manuscript:

1 ) Write a novel you would pay for. Check.

2 ) Solicit feedback from people who have no love for the concept, your writing, or your wit and hopefully know a lot more about the material than you. Check.

3 ) Receive and implement that feedback. Check.

4 ) See step 2 and 3. Check.

5 ) Revise, revise, revise. Check.

6 ) Develop a two page synopsis proving there’s a story behind that novel. Check.

7 ) Craft an engaging query letter reducing the story, and your qualifications to write said tale in four hundred words or less. Check.

8 ) Realize that the publishing world has changed dramatically in the last twenty-four months, and that step 7 need serious reconsideration.

And that’s where I am right now, working on and towards a new step 7–and beyond. What seemed unthinkable and hardly an option at all in February 2007, which is when I began and then shelved this entry, now in January of 2007 seems worth a try.

More on this in the next few days . . .