Sale 2461 - Autographs, November 7, 2017

“YOU KNOW I BROKE MOST EVERYTHING INSIDE . . . IN AFRICA” 243 c   HEMINGWAY, ERNEST. Typed Letter Signed, “I love you / Papa,” to Marlene Dietrich (“My Dearest”), stating that he tried but failed to find her in Paris, explaining that he did not write earlier because he wanted to avoid bothering her with news about his poor health, describing how he was able to improve his health, and nevertheless complaining about his poor health. 1 page, 4to, personal stationery, onion skin paper; folds. FincaVigia, 30 August 1957 [10,000/15,000] “. . . [D]own in Spain had very bad news about my health and did not want to bother you with that. You know I broke most everything inside or damaged it that last nonsense inAfrica. . . .Then had a very bad virus hepatitis in the end of 1955 and start of 56 and that was not good for my liver. . . . Dr.’s kept finding everything wrong everywhere inside and I kept having to fix them up and the hell with it. . . . “So not to die and please everybody I bring my blood pressure down from 210 over 105 down to (yes- terday) 138 over 68. Bring my cholesterol down from 428 (terrible) to 208 (normal).That took seven months and they say you cannot do it.Weight down from 220 to 208 and held it there four months and now down to 203. . . . [A]nd now in five days I will have done six months of not drinking . . . . . . .Not drinking after 43 years of drinking well and loving it and it being your oldest friend is not[hing] to write about. . . .” In late January, 1954, Hemingway survived two plane crashes in the jungle of Uganda. Although newspapers reported that all escaped the accidents unharmed, Hemingway suffered injuries that would continue to impact his health until he took his own life in 1961. Property of the family of Marlene Dietrich.