A. E. Hotchner, born on June 28, 1920, was an American author, playwright, and editor known for his significant contributions to literature and the arts. He gained fame through his close friendship with Ernest Hemingway, authoring several biographies that provide deep insights into the lives of notable figures, including Hemingway and chef Julia Child.

Hotchner also served as an editor for various publications, helping to shape the literary landscape throughout his career. His legacy is defined by his compelling narratives and the profound impact he had on American literature, leaving a lasting impression on readers and aspiring writers alike.

A. E. Hotchner Quotes

“Of course we all have our limits, but how can you possibly find your boundaries unless you explore as far and as wide as you possibly can? I would rather fail in an attempt at something new and uncharted than safely succeed in a repeat of something I have done.”
— A. E. Hotchner

“Why is it parents think they help their kids by pretending things are better than they are?”
— A. E. Hotchner

“There are bullfighters who do it just for the money—their worthlessness [said Hemingway]. The only one who matters is the bullfighter who feels it, so that if he did it for nothing, he would do it just as well. Same holds true for damn near everyone.”
— A. E. Hotchner

“From the time I read my first Hemingway work, The Sun Also Rises, as a student at Soldan High School in St. Louis, I was struck with an affliction common to my generation: Hemingway Awe.”
— A. E. Hotchner

“He [Hemingway] used a stand-up workplace he had fashioned out of the top of a bookcase near his bed. His portable typewriter was snugged in there and papers were spread along the top of the bookcase on either side of it. He used a reading board for longhand writing.”
— A. E. Hotchner

“Each day was a challenge of enjoyment, and he [Hemingway] would plan it out as a field general plans a campaign.”
— A. E. Hotchner

“Back in the days when American billboard advertising was in flower [said Hemingway], there were two slogans that I always rated above all others: the old Cremo Cigar ad that proclaimed, Spit Is a Horrid Word—but Worse on the end of Your Cigar, and Drink Schlitz in Brown Bottles and Avoid that Skunk Taste. You don’t get creative writing like that anymore.”
— A. E. Hotchner

“Ernest Hemingway was always uneasy in New York and liked being there less than in any other city he frequented.”
— A. E. Hotchner