Ernest Hemingway's short story, "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," first published in 1933, is written in his laconic, unadorned style. The definition of “Style” is “the characteristics of language in a particular story and…the same characteristics in the complete works of a writer” (Gioa and Gwynn, “Style” 861). Short words and a dry tone are so characteristic of Hemingway's style that writers frequently parody them in "International Imitation Hemingway" contests (Gioa and Gwynn, "Style" 861). But Hemingway could only express the theme of this story – that there is nothing beyond the here and now of daily existence, no God to beautify our lives – in a style of writing without frills. The somewhat empty style of this short story is not a “Hemingway imitation”; this is consistent with the story's theme of spiritual emptiness. Nearly thirty lines of “A Clean Well-Lighted Place” are pure dialogue with few clues, other than what is being said, about who is speaking. In the rest of the story, the percentage of words with more than two syllables is very low. Some biographers point out that Hemingway learned his writing rules while working for the Kansas City Star, whose stylebook urged reporters to "use short sentences." Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English, without forgetting to seek gentleness” (quoted in Desnoyers 2). Was the dry style of “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” due solely to the fact that Hemingway learned to write from a newspaper style book? He later said of these journaling rules: "They are the best rules I ever learned for the craft of writing." I never forgot them. No man with any talent, who truly feels and writes about what he is trying to say, can fail to write well... middle of paper ....... "One True Sentence." The Longman Masters of Short Fiction. Eds Dana Gioia and RS Gwynn New York: Longman, 2002. 375. -376. Desnoyers, Megan Floyd. “Ernest Hemingway: A Storyteller’s Legacy.” The ErnestHemingway Collection, December 12, 2002. John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, August 20, 2003. .Gioia, Dana and RS Gwynn. The Longman Masters of Short Fiction. Eds Dana Gioia and RS Gwynn New York: Longman, 2002. Gioia, Dana and RS Gwynn. Gwynn New York: Longman, 2002. 861-862. Hemingway Resource Center. “Biography of Ernest Hemmingway > Key West”. TheHemingway Resource Center, August 20, 2003. keywest.htm>.