Emmy-winning CBS National Correspondent Byron Pitts and Verizon Business CIO Judy Spitz lead the audience through a live mystery literary caper that integrated real-world literacy experts and their virtual avatar counterparts. The online scavenger hunt highlighted how technology impacts traditional literacy and learning, and ultimately led to the discovery of a fictitious collection of Ernest Hemingway’s original works. Follow the literary caper from the real world into the exciting virtual world of Second Life.

WE INTERRUPT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY LITERACY TO BRING YOU BREAKING NEWS…

Byron Pitts: WE ARE LIVE HERE AT THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY LITERACY IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, WHERE WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT THREE PAGES HAVE BEEN TORN FROM THE WORLD’S ONLY SIGNED, FIRST EDITION COPY OF THE CLASSIC LITERARY WORK – THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA.

OUR SOURCE HAS TOLD US THAT EACH MISSING PAGE HAS BEEN INSCRIBED WITH A RIDDLE – AND THE ANSWERS TO THE RIDDLES WILL LEAD INVESTIGATORS TO A NEVER BEFORE SEEN COLLECTION OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY’S ORIGINAL WORKS.

THIS NEWS IS ROCKING THE LITERARY COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE WITH US – EXCLUSIVELY – ROBERTA LANTERMAN – THE VERY INSIGHTFUL LIBRARIAN WHO UNCOVERED THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST RIDDLE.

ROBERTA: TELL US WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED.

Roberta: ON SATURDAY, I RECEIVED AN ANONYMOUS PACKAGE THAT CONTAINED THE THREE MISSING PAGES FROM THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA.

I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THE RAREST VOLUME OF THE BOOK HAD BEEN DAFACED – BUT BEING THE HEMINGWAY BUFF THAT I AM, I KNEW THAT THE SIGNED FIRST EDITION COPY BELONGED TO HEMINGWAY’S GRANDCHILD – LORIAN HEMINGWAY.

UNTIL NOW, I NEVER BELIEVED THE RUMORS – I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS JUST LITERARY LORE – BUT IN LIBRARIES ACROSS THE WORLD, ONE WILL HEAR WHISPERS THAT LORIAN HEMINGWAY HAS IN HER POSSESSION AN UNPUBLISHED COLLECTION OF HER GRANDFATHER’S MANUSCRIPTS. THE LOST COLLECTION WAS SAID TO BE HIDDEN IN A SECRET ONLINE WORLD – LOCKED IN A VIRTUAL VAULT!

THE MOMENT I OPENED THE PACKAGE, I KNEW IF THIS TALE WAS INDEED TRUE, THESE RIDDLES COULD LEAD TO THE GREATEST LITERARY DISCOVERY OF OUR TIME!

Byron Pitts: THAT IS AMAZING. SO, THE FIRST RIDDLE READ:

“With a nod to the naysayers, Hemingway answered with Santiago’s story and redemption was his. What ‘noblest prize’ sealed Santiago’s success?”

AND WHAT WAS THE ANSWER?

Roberta: HEMINGWAY RECEIVED HIS FIRST REALLY UNFAVORABLE REVIEWS AFTER HE PUBLISHED ACROSS THE RIVER AND INTO THE TREES.

IT WASN’T UNTIL HE PUBLISHED THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA THAT HIS REPUATION WAS REDEEMED. AND HIS NARRATIVE MASTERY IN THIS BOOK EARNED HIM THE 1954 NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE. I WENT TO THINKFINITY.ORG TO CONFIRM THIS AND IT INDEED WAS 1954.

THAT’S THE ANSWER TO THE RIDDLE.

Byron Pitts: THANK YOU, ROBERTA. WE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO SOLVING THIS MYSTERY.

FOR ALL YOU VIEWERS OUT THERE – THE SECOND RIDDLE READS:

Obsession ruled Hemingway’s life. He accidentally took two bullets while battling the one he shared with Santiago. Where did this obsession lead in Hemingway’s life and legacy?

DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE SECOND RIDDLE? STAY TUNED…WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING YOU BREAKING NEWS ON THIS INCREDIBLE LITERARY CAPER.

Dorothy: EXCUSE ME: ARE YOU THAT REPORTER WORKING THE HEMINGWAY STORY?

Byron Pitts: YES, WHO ARE YOU?

Dorothy: I AM AN INSTRUCTOR AT A FAMILY LITERACY PROGRAM AND I THINK I CAN ANSWER THE SECOND RIDDLE.

HEMINGWAY WAS OBSESSED WITH DEEP SEA FISHING – PARTICULARLY MARLIN FISHING.

HIS BOAT, EL PILAR, WAS MANNED BY GREGORIO FUENTES, THE CAPTAIN WHO MANY BELIEVE INSPIRED THE CHARACTER SANTIAGO. IT WAS ON EL PILAR THAT HEMINGWAY ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIMSELF IN BOTH LEGS. HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP A SHARK OFF A GREAT MARLIN – JUST AS SANTIAGO DID IN THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. YOU CAN READ ALL ABOUT IT ON THINKFINITY.ORG.

AND NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW THIS, BUT HEMINGWAY’S GRANDDAUGHTER LORIAN IS ALSO OBSESSIVE ABOUT DEEP SEA FISHING.

IN HER MEMOIR SHE WRITES ABOUT HOW DEEP SEA FISHING TRIPS WERE REALLY BATTLES WITH HER FAMILY’S DEMONS. AFTER ONE PARTICULARLY DESCRUCTIVE TRIP, SHE ENTERED A REHABILITATION CENTER…AND AT THE END OF THE MEMOIR, SHE WRITES OF “BEING FREE” FROM ADDICTION AND FINALLY ENTERING HER “SECOND LIFE.”

THAT HAS TO BE THE NEXT CLUE!

Byron Pitts: THANK YOU, DOROTHY.

I WONDER WHAT ALL THIS MEANS??

THE COLLECTION IS HIDDEN SOMEWHERE ONLINE – AND CAN BE FOUND IF WE CAN JUST FIGURE OUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE NOBEL PRIZE, A MARLIN AND ENTERING A SECOND LIFE.

I NEED TO CALL AN EXPERT – SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS TECHNOLOGY AND CAN MAKE THE LINK BETWEEN THESE CLUES AND THE VIRTUAL WORLD.

Byron Pitts: JUDY, HI, THIS IS BYRON PITTS. I’M WORKING ON A STORY – MAYBE YOU HAVE SEEN IT ON THE NEWS – THE LOST HEMINGWAY COLLECTION?

Judy: HEY BYRON! NICE TO MEET YOU. I’VE REALLY BEEN IMPRESSED WITH YOUR WORK AS A JOURNALIST. I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE COVERAGE OF THE LOST COLLECTION. WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Byron Pitts: I NEED A TECHNOLOGIST TO WORK WITH ME ON THIS STORY. MY SOURCES HAVE ANSWERED TWO OF THE RIDDLES…BUT WE DON’T KNOW HOW THE ANSWERS CAN HELP US RECOVER THE COLLECTION THAT’S HIDDEN SOMEWHERE ONLINE. AND WE STILL HAVE ANOTHER RIDDLE TO SOLVE!

DO THESE MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU: THE NOBEL PRIZE, MARLIN FISHING AND BEGINNING A SECOND LIFE??

Judy Spitz: LET’S START WITH THE LAST ONE…THERE IS A FASCINATING 3D VIRTUAL WORLD CALLED SECOND LIFE. COULD THIS BE WHERE THE COLLECTION IS HIDDEN?

CAN YOU MEET ME IN A FEW MINUTES? I’LL SHOW YOU HOW IT WORKS.

WHY DON’T YOU EMAIL A FRIEND OF MINE WHO DID HIS THESIS ON HEMINGWAY. GIVE HIM THE NEXT RIDDLE, AND SEE IF HE HAS ANY INSIGHTS FOR US. HIS NAME IS RONG ZANG AND HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS INOHEMINGWAY at VERIZON.NET. SEE YOU SOON.

Byron Pitts: DEAR MR. ZANG: JUDY SPITZ, CIO OF VERIZON BUSINESS, SUGGESTED I CONTACT YOU. SHE INDICATED YOU WERE SOMETHING OF AN EXPERT ON HEMINGWAY. DOES THIS RIDDLE MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?

Hemingway glorified fighters like Santiago who persevered through pain and suffering. What fisherman’s son and great Yankee hero achieved great glory despite much distress on the diamond?

I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP.

BYRON PITTS
Rong: BYRON, THE RIDDLE IS REFERENCING THE GREAT YANKEE JOE DIMAGGIO WHO SET THE ALL-TIME MAJOR LEAGUE RECORD BY HITTING SAFELY IN 56 CONSECUTIVE GAMES.

IN THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, SANTIAGO PONDERS ABOUT HOW THE GREAT DIMAGGIO MADE BASEBALL HISTORY WHILE BATTLING A BONE SPUR IN HIS HEEL. DIMAGGIO DEMONSTRATED PERSEVERANCE, RESOLUTION AND DETERMINATION, AND SANTIAGO ADMIRED HIS EXAMPLE. IT’S SAID THAT HEMINGWAY DID, TOO.

DOES THIS HELP YOU?

RONG

Byron Pitts: THANK YOU, MR. ZANG. I HAVE A FEELING THIS INFORMATION IS CRITICAL TO FINDING THE LOST COLLECTION. WE’LL LET YOU KNOW.

BYRON PITTS
Byron Pitts: JUDY, THANKS FOR SENDING ME TO YOUR FRIEND!

WE’VE PICKED UP ONE MORE ANSWER…JOE DIMAGGIO.

NOW, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS SECOND LIFE IS ALL ABOUT?

Judy: LET’S DIVE RIGHT IN. SECOND LIFE IS A HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED 3D VIRTUAL WORLD WHERE ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

THERE IS AN ENTIRE REGION IN SECOND LIFE DEDICATED TO EDUCATION – AND MANY LIBRARIES, LITERACY PROGRAMS AND UNIVERSITIES HAVE A PRESENCE IN THIS VIRTUAL WORLD.

I THINK WE SHOULD NAVIGATE THROUGH SECOND LIFE – IDENTIFYING PLACES THAT RELATE TO THE CLUES. THAT WAY, WE HAVE A HOPE OF FINDING THE LOST COLLECTION.

ARE YOU READY TO BECOME AN AVATAR?

Byron Pitts: AN AVATAR?

Judy: YOU KNOW, A VIRTUAL REPRESENTATION OF YOURSELF. LET’S GO TO MY OFFICE AND I’LL SHOW YOU.

Click here [1] to watch the video from the virtual world of Second Life.

Byron Pitts: THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP SOLVING THE MYSTERIOUS LITERARY CAPER. WE NOW TAKE YOU BACK TO THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FAMILY LITERACY. REPORTING LIVE, THIS IS BYRON PITTS SIGNING OFF.