Key West conference.

Curnutt, Kirk ; Sinclair, Gail

About the Conference Program

The Ernest Hemingway Society will hold its nth biennial international conference from 7-12 June 2004, in Key West, Florida. The five-day event will include papers by noted scholars on Hemingway's Key West writings, both fiction and nonfiction; the island adventures and outings, feuds and affairs that influenced his literary development in the 1930s; and Hemingway's relationship to other writers, past and present, with Key West associations.

We have organized each day for academic enrichment and tropical island pleasure. Paper sessions are set through the morning and into the early afternoon leaving the remaining time for special programs, tours, dinners, and personal exploration of this lush island's haunts. Specially scheduled programs in the planning stages include guest lectures by Hemingway family members, friends, and authors who have personal and professional memories of the writer. We also have organized seminars with writers, walking tours of important literary sites, a visit to the Key West Art and Historical Museum displaying Hemingway's WWI Red Cross uniform (complete with bullet holes and blood stains), movie screenings of Hemingway films, a champagne sail at sunset, access to water activities (deep sea fishing, snorkeling, a tour of the Dry Tortugas or the site of the former house on stilts, sailing, etc.), and a few surprises yet to be announced.

Getting to Key West By Car

How do you get to Key West by ground transportation in the continental United States? You turn east, keep going until you hit the Atlantic Ocean, take a right and don't stop until the road ends. Quite literally, at the southernmost tip of Key West is a famous sign informing travelers they have arrived as far south as it is possible to venture on U.S. soil. Two blocks east of that sign is the grand Casa Marina Hotel, our home away from home for the eleventh biennial Ernest Hemingway International Conference to be held 7-12 June 2004.

Of course, if you are driving you'll want to consult your own map, but I'd like to make some recommendations for those who have time to build in a few extra hours. Once in Florida you'll want to head south on either 1-95 down the Coast or take the Turnpike across the state to the east. I highly recommend exiting from either highway at West Palm Beach and traveling the scenic route on A1A for at least a few miles, if not all the way to Miami. You should be warned that the speed limit is often 25 to 35 miles an hour with stoplights and signs, but the view is well worth it. Crossing into Palm Beach on Royal Palm Drive turn left on A1A for a few short blocks and drive past the beautiful Breakers Hotel where anyone of fame, fortune, and life in the fast lane has stayed while hanging out with the polo set. After a quick peek there, turn back south on A1A and enjoy the view! On both sides of the road you'll find some of the most stunning real estate in America. On the left periodic glimpses of the Atlantic come into view, often framed against mansions even Jay Gatsby's "aesthetic contemplation" couldn't conjure. On the right, riding the crest of a slight incline (the only kind of elevation we have in Florida), and poised between the ocean and the Inter-Coastal Waterway sits "Mar-a-Lago", formerly Marjorie Merriwether Post's haunt, and now owned by Donald Trump. The mansion is appropriately painted in a quasi-golden tone and is flanked by hedgerows to inhibit a curious public's glimpse. I've been told if you turn onto the grounds and fain being lost, gun-toting guards will quickly and firmly direct you off the property, so a slow drive-by viewing is best. Continuing down the coast you'll pass more amazing ocean-side mansions on the left, and on the right are yet other remarkable dwellings fronting the Inter-Coastal Waterway. Docked in their back yards float privately owned yachts sporting such subtle names as Show Boat, Daddy's Money, and Can't Take it With You. Other vessels in this remarkable fleet quietly cruise past neighbors' equally impressive digs. You'll find it hard to believe such ostentation exists in just these few short miles.

If your energy is sagging after such curb-side shopping, turn right onto Atlantic Street in Del Ray Beach for an authentic hazelnut mocha gelato before either continuing further south on A1A or jumping back on the highway. If you follow the coast all the way to Miami plan to stretch your legs at the city's famous South Beach where the pastel Art Deco buildings, shops, and cafes, as well as the beach's clientele will make the side-trip an interesting adventure. A few blocks away you will find the famous Joe's Stone Crab restaurant touted as one of the three privately owned eating establishments in the U.S. you should not miss. (The other two, in case you're wondering, are Brennan's in New Orleans and Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth.) I don't believe Joe's takes reservations, and the wait can be lengthy, but they also have a full-service take-out if you want to grab some "legs" and run. After Miami, you only have a three to four hour drive, depending on traffic, but again the scenery is spectacular at times with water to the right, water to the left, and blue sky above.

By Air

For most conference attendees, air travel will be the best bet. Key West has a regional airport, but as you might imagine, it accommodates mostly small planes. My two flights onto the island have been in twelve-passenger planes flying a few times a day from Orlando, Tampa, and Miami. If small aircraft bother you, Atlanta has larger jets, holding approximately seventy passengers, arriving twice daily, or you could take the bus from Miami, I recommend that both domestic and international travelers arrive in Atlanta and make a Key West connection there. Delta, Continental, U.S. Air, and American all fly to the island at present, and you're welcome to book flights yourself. However, we've simplified the process and made possible specially discounted rates from 5 to 15% if you make arrangements through Go Travel in one of the following ways:

1. Visit http://www.contus.com/hemingway@contus.com

2. Send an e-mail to: hemingway@contus.com

3. Call Leigh Richards at 800-622-6996.

When you call or contact them via e-mail or the web site, they will need the following information:

1. Legal names of all travelers as they appear on state-issued photo ID or passport.

2. Arrival city (Key West, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa)

3. Departure date

4. Preferred airline

5. Return date

6. Return city

7. Request for rental car in (city) and will return to (city)

Flights must be locked in sixty days prior to departure to receive special rates. Also be aware that a service fee will apply if using this agency.

"Mi Casa es Tu Casa? No, Casa Marina!"--Accommodations

By now you've heard that we selected Wyndham's Casa Marina as our conference hotel. Henry Flagler's historic grand resort majestically rises above the Atlantic and anchors the south end of the island. We think you'll find its location opposite the north side's famous Mallory Square, Sloppy Joe's, Captain Tony's Saloon, and Duvall Street's nightlife a positive advantage. Things can get a little wild on that end of town, but you'll be free to partake of the party and leave the noise behind when it's time for a quiet night's respite. We have negotiated a great conference rate of $109 for non-ocean view single rooms, $139 for ocean view rooms or non-ocean view one-bedroom suites, and $189 for ocean view one-bedroom suites. You can take a virtual tour of the hotel and grounds at http://planner.plansoft.com/ psn/directlink.asp?id=15717 and pick out your favorite spots early. Make reservations by 16 April 2004 at 800-626-0777 or e-mail ratkins@wyndham.com. Be sure when booking to mention you are with the Hemingway Society to receive the special conference rate.

The Casa Marina provides all the amenities one expects from a luxury hotel: fine and casual dining, well-stocked bar, health club and sauna, message studio and salon, three tropical pools and a whirlpool, private beach, tennis courts, and an 18-hole golf available nearby. In-room amenities include hair dryer, iron/ironing board, coffee maker, cable television and in-room movies, wet bar and mini-bar, ceiling fans, in-room safe, and private balcony. Complimentary transportation to and from the airport is also available.

For your entertainment beyond the free sun and surf, the Casa's concierge can make arrangements for a wide variety of water sport equipment rentals, bicycle and scooter rentals, private charters of planes and various water craft, and golf tee-times. The Casa also has creative "team-building" activities such as a bicycle scavenger hunt exploring Old Town's famous sites, as well as beach and lawn Olympics. (Check the web site for further details, and line those teams up now before you get here!)

The Casa Marina is able to provide us the island's best value for the dollar in a luxury resort, and I doubt you'll want to go anywhere else, but another advantage of booking with them is availability in a second hotel, the Reach Resort, only one block away. The Wyndham chain operates both hotels, and as a guest you can share all amenities and use of facilities. If for some reason you want to get away from the group a bit but still be near, the Reach Resort might fill those needs. That reservation number is 1-800-874-4118, and you can take a virtual tour at: http://planner.plansoft.com/psn/directlink.asp?id=17107. The island also has charming bed and breakfasts too numerous to list, as well as economy chain hotels, though these are mostly at the far end of the island and would require driving or taking a taxi. A reservation service provides assistance at 1-877-949-6276 or e-mail kwfinest@aol.com.

Key West is a beautiful tropical paradise waiting to provide you with great fun, food, and a wonderful backdrop to intellectual pursuits. You won't want to miss the rewards our eleventh biennial Ernest Hemingway Conference is sure to bring, so make plans now to join us.

For More Information

Visit the special conference section on the web site, http://www.hemingwaysociety.org/to stay updated with the latest information and developments.

KIRK CURNUTT

AND GAIL SINCLAIR

Troy State University and Rollins College