Letter to Martha Gellhorn

Dear Martha, 

I appreciated a piece of wisdom you discussed in your memoir, which reads, “It is true that we need a root of personal experience from which to grow our understanding. Each new experience plants another root; the smallest root will serve.” I also believe that experiences lend to an individual’s perspective, which, in turn, enables them to increasingly navigate later circumstances and experiences with more grace and understanding. 

Though you focus extensively on the “best parts” of your “super horror journeys,” I would have liked to have read more about more positive moments of your travels. Or, your commentary about the importance of your relationships or your experience as a woman news correspondent at your time. Indeed, you mention that most people want to be entertained by the unique and peculiar parts of your experiences, namely the horrible parts, but other experiences could also be interesting to a reader such as myself. 

In relation to some of the places that you discuss in the memoir, have you revisited any of the destinations? If so, how has your view of the country changed? In particular, do you still feel positively about the presence of colonial governments in certain states, such as the Dutch in the Caribbean town of Paramaribo that you visited? 

Best,

Joy