by Jennifer Tianen
The Michigan Hemingway Society (MHS) will be celebrating a centenary of the Nick Adams stories - and honoring one of their own - as they plan a conference and other events for the fall of 2027.
Acting president Jennifer Tianen* is working in tandem with a new executive board this winter to rebuild the society after the passing of longtime president Christopher Struble this past October. Known for his extensive Hemingway knowledge, tours, and presentations in the Petoskey region and beyond, Chris was beloved by all who knew him.
MHS Executive Board member Dianna Stampfler noted that Chris left a lasting legacy in the Petoskey area and beyond in his work with the MHS: “He had all of that historical knowledge about the area and about Hemingway, and he shared it willingly with other people - that is such a gift. Much of that downtown area, with his tours and the Hemingway historical markers [in Petoskey] he worked on with the Michigan Hemingway Society…I hope people will think about what he gave us during his time here and not only now, but future generations. He preserved a lot of that history, and I hope people will remember and appreciate him for that.”
For example, Chris was instrumental in working with the city of Petoskey and the Robert Jensen Dau Foundation to honor Ernest Hemingway with a statue of the writer in Pennsylvania Park, just steps away from the railroad tracks that would spirit young Ernest away to Toronto in 1920. The statue was unveiled in July of 2017, the same summer the late documentary filmmaker George Colburn unveiled the first version of his Young Hemingway: The Path to Paris. (How many times did Chris get interviewed for that again?) It was Chris who celebrated countless birthdays for Hemingway in downtown Petoskey on many sweltering July 21sts with free scoops of ice cream, and Chris again who helped to host the centenary wedding anniversary of Hadley and Ernest (“one quarter of them in Horton Bay!” was his running joke).
The MHS will work with the Clarke Library at Central Michigan University to establish a memorial in Chris’s name this spring.
In addition, the executive board encourages all who would like to contribute their enthusiasm and expertise to the Michigan Hemingway Society to join at https://www.michiganhemingwaysociety.org/. A conference is in the works for 2027, and new updates will be posted on the website, Facebook, and Instagram pages soon. Please email them at info@michiganhemingwaysociety.org with any questions.