KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Ernest Hemingway spent the 1930s in Key West, Florida, and more than six decades after his death, fans, scholars and relatives continue to congregate on the island city to celebrate the author’s award-winning novels and adventure-filled life. Hemingway Days started in 1981 with a short-story competition and a look-alike contest. This year’s celebration concluded Sunday (July 21, 2024) on the 125th anniversary of Hemingway’s birth on July 21, 1899. As a novelist, short-story writer and journalist, Hemingway’s spot in the pantheon of American literature is undeniable and his legacy permeates the culture and character of Key West.
A polydactyl cat at the Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West, Florida, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. About 60 cats with a genetic mutation for extra toes continue to live at the estate. Some of these cats are descendants of the original white six-toed cat that Ernest Hemingway was gifted from a ship’s captain. Hemingway and his then-wife, Pauline, bought the home in 1931. It was turned into a museum in 1964. (AP Photo/David Fischer)
