Historic Provenance

Why the road name Authors Way? Westport has a long tradition as an artistic community. Many authors, actors, TV personalities, musicians, & artists have in the past, and continue to call Westport home. The Seller of this 4.5 acre estate A.E. (Aaron Edward) Hotchner was famous in his own right as an author, playwright, and philanthropist, and for the people he associated with. Hotch was a friend and biographer of Ernest Hemingway, whom he met in 1948. His best-known book is Papa Hemingway, written in 1966 to attempt to explain Hemingway’s 1961 suicide. Many of Hotch’s plays were adaptations of Hemingway short stories. In 1955 Hotch was rehearsing a TV drama he had written The Battler, based on Hemingway’s short story of the same name, when a young actor, who also lived in Westport, Paul Newman, suddenly took over the lead role when James Dean tragically died in an accident. Hotch and Newman were friends and professional associates for the next 53 years until Paul died in 2008. They were co-founders of the Neman’s Own food business, the Newman’s Own Foundation, and the Hole in the Wall camps. Authors Way is a tribute to Hotch and all the other authors who have lived and worked in Westport and to the current and future writers who may do so.