Rewriting the Classics

Writers and artists, take note: the publishing house Scribner recently published a “restored version” of Ernest Hemingway’s memoir, A Moveable Feast, “restored” by Hemingway’s grandson in such a way as to make the grandson’s grandmother–Mrs. Hemingway #2–more sympathetic in the book. (Grandson also added chapters in which Hemingway describes Ford Madox Ford’s body odor and the size of  Scott Fitzgerald’s wang.)

Irritated, or fascinated, or concerned about future depictions of my own bodily disappointments, I asked three of my favorite funny writers–Sandra Tsing Loh, Ben Schott, and Patricia Marx–to goof on what classics of literature they’d like to revamp. The results air this weekend on public radio’s Studio 360 (the episode is here.) Added bonus: because of the aforementioned Fitzgerald fact, Studio 360’s buttoned-down, Omaha-bred host Kurt Andersen says “penis” on air.