On "Hollow."

"If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of the iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. The writer who omits things because he does not know them only makes hollow places in his writing."

Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon

*****

'So I read it a few more times, and I really like it a lot; the writing is great, but -'

'Awesome, thank you. But you didn't really pick up on what I omitted, huh?'

'Honestly, not really. I don't know maybe I'm just not smart enough. I mean, now that you've explained it to me I get it. I definitely felt like a life had been lost; and I felt a sense of overwhelming gloom, but I think some of it was lost on me.'

'No, I was afraid I made it too subtle. Kent always told me I needed to learn subtlety.Guess I went too far. Next time I make chili I won't be afraid to make it a little spicy. Though, I do think the napkin part is a dead giveaway, ya know? She throws away the napkin before it's turned into a flower or whatever.'

'Yeah, I guess I missed that. But - what I've been meaning to ask you - was the title intentional or coincidental?'

'What do you mean?'

'Like the Hemingway theory of omission. Did you name it "Hollow" for that reason?'

'What reason? I named it "Hollow" because the girl got a baby sucked out of her. Like in "Hills like White Elephants." It's a straight Hemingway ripoff, that's for sure. I mean, I'd just read a chapter from A Moveable Feast called "Hunger is Good Discipline" and I was alive with the Hemingway spirit and I decided to write using his iceberg theory.'

'Right. I get that. But did you call it "Hollow" because of that also?'

'Because of what?'

'Well, Hemingway said that if a writer tries to write about something he's never actually experienced it'll turn out hollow. So that's why I thought you called it that. Kind of like a jab at yourself in a way.'

'Whoa. Hemingway really said that?'

'Yeah. You didn't know that? It's in his book Death in the Afternoon, which I know you've read. (I remember you wouldn't shut up about wanting to go see a bullfight).'

'Yeah, I have read that, but I don't remember that part. That's crazy. That's really crazy actually!'

'It's definitely a little spooky. Especially considering you've never went through that before. At least not as far as I know.'

'No, you're right. I haven't ever went through that. Man, it's like Hemingway called me out from beyond the grave.'

'Definitely weird.'