Michael Moriarty is a trial lawyer who started out as an investigative reporter in college. After a lifetime of lawyering, he has happily returned to his roots in writing. Moriarty resides in Omaha, Nebraska, where he continues to write books about Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson.
He recently talked to Writer’s Life Magazine to share all about his career, his passions and his books: this is what he had to say.
Tell us a bit about your background and career.
In college I worked for the student newspaper and soon found that my favorite style was investigative reporting. My next move was getting a legal education which seemed necessary to progress in the field of investigative reporting. Upon graduating from law school I was unable to find work as a journalist due to economic recession and hiring freezes. So, I began lawyering, which I have made into my career doing trial lawyer work in criminal and civil court.
I have never let go of my dream to return to writing. As Hemingway said, “A writer’s job is to tell the truth. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Then continue . . .”
Tell us about your Hemingway series, Hemingway’s Retreat to Ireland and Hemingway’s Return to England
The Hemingway series (Hemingway’s Retreat to Ireland and Hemingway’s Return to England) brings the world-renowned author back to life. The news reported on July 2, 1961 was that author Ernest Hemingway died by suicide.
With the help of President Kennedy, Hemingway avoids his fate of suicide and stays alive by faking his death. The president arranges to get Hemingway out of the country and over to the emerald isle of Ireland living in an old Kennedy (Fitzgerald) family castle overlooking the Shannon River.
Hemingway believes Ireland is the place to go when your world is falling apart. A place to go when fame and success have burned you out. So, the Hemingway series explores whether the people and beauty of Ireland can help Hemingway recapture the man he used to be. Or is it finally time to say goodbye?
What was it about this particular author that inspired you to write these books?
Hemingway wasn’t just a 19-year-old kid from Chicago who got lucky and became known around the world for his writing and his lifestyle.
Hemingway made it happen. His actions did the talking. “Never mistake motion for action,” he said. He didn’t. Just out of high school his vision problems prevented him from getting in the Army, but nevertheless he was able to get to the battlefield front in Italy in World War I as a Red Cross worker. He managed to get wounded and save an Italian soldier for which he earned a Medal of Valor from Italy for his heroics.
He later joined the “Lost Generation” in Paris and began his writing career doing reporting and eventually writing novels. He came home to America and was known as a sport fisherman in Key West Florida, then later Cuba. Of course, he loved Africa, too, and big game hunting was thrilling for him. In Spain, he sided with the rebels in their civil war, but he also wrote about bullfighting with expert knowledge.
By the time World War II came along he stayed busy attempting to go after Nazi submarines from his base of operations in Cuba. His fishing boat (the “Pillar”) even had machine guns mounted for the task - - paid for by the U.S. Military.
Finally, in May of 1944 he got onboard a ship and reported the Normandy Invasion at Omaha Beach. He moved on with a group of French resistance fighters commanding the squad in guerilla warfare all the way to Paris.
Why was it important for you to write this?
It was important to write the Hemingway books because he was a larger than life personality who was able to live a life which could never be duplicated today. His story deserves to be told because it captures great moments of the 20th Century in the life of one American man.
Can we expect more Hemingway adventures?
There already are more Hemingway adventures in the Hunter Thompson Trilogy (The Return of Hunter S. Thompson, an Untold Story of Nazi Hunting, Vol 1 – 3).
You also have a series based on Hunter S. Thompson, tell us a little about that.
The Hunter S. Thompson trilogy is the story of a famous writer whose life trajectory is intercepted when he is a twenty-year-old just out of the Air Force. They center around two young men following through on a vow they made to their second-grade teacher to hunt down these bad men (Nazis) if they were still around when Hunter and friend Jordan grew up. Although the story begins in 1958, the tale allows for an examination of ongoing Nazi crimes.
The story resonates today with the worldwide rise of dictators and far right ideologies, including antisemitism. As Einstein said, “If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.”
Our boys will not remain silent. With the help of their mentor, Tom Charlebois, they chase and pursue Nazis throughout the world.
And what was it about Thompson that inspired you to write this series?
Hunter Thompson developed a style of writing called Gonzo journalism. Like Hemingway, he was an innovator in his use of the English language. As Dr. Gonzo, Hunter Thompson put himself in his stories and writings.
My books allow him to be himself right in the middle of an imaginative tale of tracking down nefarious Nazis still carrying out their assorted crimes of theft and deception or running and hiding from the crimes of the past.
Many Nazis have escaped justice. Hunter and Jordan pursue them with the help of notables including:
Series highlights include: Notre Dame’s Father Ted Hesburgh, Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, crime boss Meyer Lansky, musical director Lenny Bernstein, writer Ernest Hemingway, English detective Sherlock Holmes and The Monuments Women of London.
What are the messages you want readers to take away from reading your work?
There are several messages in the Hunter S. Thompson series. First, if you make a promise to do something important, make sure to follow through. Hunter and Jordan followed through on their promise to second grade teacher Sister Ansilio.
Also, there is the message that anyone can stand up to evil and inhumanity. Just do it.
There is another message which is about youth and being young. Carpe Diem, seize the day. You are only young once. Do something to make this a better world. Don’t just make life about self-success and material acquisitions. Be willing to help those who could use a hand. Here, Hunter and Jordan help those victimized by Nazis. Excellent choice!
Besides Hemingway and Thompson, who are some other authors who have inspired you?
One of my favorite authors was John Neihardt who I met as a student when Dick Cavett came to Nebraska to interview the Poet Laureate.
Black Elk Speaks was the epic tale by Neihardt who relates the story of the Ogalala medicine man Black Elk. The original publication was 1932, but the book was soon forgotten until the 1960’s when college students and an international audience rediscovered Black Elk Speaks. It has been this inspiration from the story of Black Elk and the culture of the Lakota people that has propelled me to write about Crazy Horse in my upcoming book.
If these series were turned into film or TV projects, who do you think would be great to do the titled roles?
1: Ernest Hemingway – Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Sam Elliott, Sam Jackson or Johnny Depp.
2: Hunter Thompson – Johnny Depp, Owen Wilson, Ed Helms, Seann William Scott, Bill Hader or Matthew McConaughy.
Jordan Josin – Vince Vaughn, Ed Helms, Adam Sandler, Jesse Eisenberg, Bill Harder, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, Jack Black, Carson Daly or Tom Green
3: Crazy Horse Story: (Producer/Director: M. Scorsese, K. Costner, S. Spielberg)
Young Native American Attorney – Lou Diamond Phillips - type
David Yellow Thunder - Ed Olmos or Wes Studi.
Crazy Horse – Ed Olmos or Wes Studi.
Judge John Sirica – Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese or Frances Coppola.
Law Intern DeAngelo – Billie Eilish or Sara Silverman.
What are you working on now, and what can we expect from you next?
The story Crazy Horse is in final proofing and should be published by May – June, 2025.
Where can people find out more about you and your work?
