Deft exploration of what’s in a name
Our names are important; they help shape who we are. Sometimes you meet someone and when they tell you their name, it doesn’t seem to suit them while others seem to fit their names perfectly, like a well-worn pair of jeans.
We name our children, our pets, but also boats, cars, houses. Some families ascribe so much importance to a name that they pass it down. But what do you do when your name happens to already belong to someone famous?
That’s the problem facing Earnest Hemmingway, a middle-aged ad copywriter living in the Big Apple. He feels that any other famous name would be more bearable than the one he’s been saddled with by his father, Earnest Hemmingway III (EH3). He understands Hemingway was, and is, greatly admired, but he just can’t stand the man’s writing. He goes by “Hem,” instead.
When the teller at the DMV doesn’t believe his name is Earnest Hemmingway, Hem loses it. The whole incident is recorded, uploaded to YouTube and goes viral. Among the commenters, Hem notices a small group of nine people come to his defence. Coincidentally, all his defenders share a name with someone famous. This gives him an idea. Hem decides to track down others who share his unusual problem. He posts an ad seeking people who share famous names in hopes of establishing a support group, of sorts, where those saddled with famous monikers can help each other.
Hem’s problem is that he isn’t just a copywriter, but an aspiring novelist suffering from writer’s block, which he believes is being caused by the ghost of Ernest Hemingway. To exorcise the ghost, Hem sets out on a geographical tour of the real Hemingway’s career, travelling to Toronto, then Paris, Pamplona, Key West, and, lastly, to Ketchum, Idaho, where the writer took his own life. Considering Hem doesn’t like the guy, you can rest assured there are going to be some bumps along the way.
Fallis employs an easygoing yet compelling writing style. The subject matter turns serious at times, but Fallis keeps things light, finding humour in dark situations.
So what’s in a name? When it’s Terry Fallis, you know it means a good book.