by Jennifer McQuillan
English Department, West Bloomfield High School
Is Hemingway still taught in American high schools?
This was a question that came up during the Michigan Hemingway Society Conference last fall. As a veteran high school English teacher, I've been attempting to answer that question on a national level, but I've found that it's going to take me more time and research, so I've decided to answer it on a decidedly more personal note: YES, I'm teaching Hemingway - selections from the Nick Adams stories - at West Bloomfield High School in West Bloomfield, MI. As a matter of fact, this year, every tenth grade student in our high school read Hemingway's "The End of Something" for the first time in my eighteen years of teaching here, and that's because of the connections we've forged between our Literary Garden and the Michigan Hemingway Society. Imagine - bonding over some Horton Bay mint!
We also made history - as far as MHS President Chris Struble can remember - by becoming the first high school in recent memory to take a field trip to Hemingway country on May 15, 2017. Fifty-two sophomores, juniors, and seniors made a one day trip to Horton Bay and Petoskey to visit sites associated with Hemingway's early life and the Nick Adams stories. Chris and I tag-teamed our teaching at these sites; Chris handled the local history and Hemingway background, and I handled the literary symbolism and connections. Dr. George Colburn helped to coordinate much of the trip and filmed parts of the day, interviewing students as part of his Young Hemingway film and planned educational modules. Students loved the living outdoor "classrooms!" They plunged their own hands into the cold spring and tasted the mint mentioned in the beginning of "Summer People," the same mint we have growing in our Literary Garden at West Bloomfield High School. They sloshed into the waters of Walloon Lake and wrote Hemingway's name into the sand there. Best of all, Chris and I held a fantastic conversation about "The Big Two-Hearted River" with stunning views of Lake Michigan behind us and the ghostly remnants of the Arlington Hotel smoldering below.
Of course, no trip to Petoskey would be complete without fudge and ice cream, and the kids were grateful when Chris gave them some time to give in to sugary temptation. Then it was off to the Little Traverse Historical Museum with Director Jane Garver to see even more Hemingway artifacts (that wedding invitation! that priceless Hemingway signature!) and local Petoskey history before we wrapped it up for the day and the long ride back downstate.
My students want me to plan another trip for next year, and I have staff members clamoring to come, as well! Here's what some of the kids had to say:
"The most recent Hemingway trip was the perfect blend of fun and learning, as we were able to see exactly what Hemingway saw and felt, even though it was decades ago…"
"Seeing the history and nature of the area helped me to love the area enough that I will be taking my family around to the areas we were up north. Learning about Hemingway’s life was also helpful in helping me to understand what he was trying to convey with his writing."
Thank you to Chris Struble, Dr. George Colburn, and Jane Garver for all of their hard work and boundless enthusiasm in making this trip a reality! You can bet we will be back next year!