July 17th, 2009 § § permalink
As a boy in Springfield, Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, I recall that the aunt of a family friend once mentioned that she had met Mark Twain in San Francisco. How amazing, I thought, to know someone who had known someone who was that famous!
When it comes to GertrudeandAlice, they met lots and lots of famous people and lots and lots of not so famous people. Many of them flocked to rue de Fleurus, rue Christine and their country place near Bilignin while others got to know them on their travels.
It’s been said that there have probably been more people who have written about meeting GertrudeandAlice than have written about encounters with any other well-known 20th century personalities. They were a very sociable couple.
Who doesn’t know about some of the key players in their circle – Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Gris, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Pound, Wilder, and Van Vechten?
F. Scott & Zelda in the latest hairdo
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July 12th, 2009 § § permalink
“The envelope please. The Oscar for best actress in a supporting role goes to …”
Just imagine that in that great movie year 1939 – the year of “Gone with the Wind,” The Wizard of Oz,” “Stagecoach,” “Ninotchka,” “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” and “Wuthering Heights”- GertrudeandAlice had starred in a movie version of THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS and the double feature at the local Bijou one-screenplex would have been Gertrude’s children’s book THE WORLD IS ROUND produced by Walt Disney!
Well, it could have happened, though it didn’t. Studio politics and World War II probably side-tracked plans.
After the success of the Autobiography, GertrudeandAlice visited Hollywood in the spring of 1935 as part of their six month criss-cross lecture tour of America. They were guests at a star-filled dinner party in Beverly Hills and Gertrude had a lively discussion about film with Charlie Chaplin who was seated next to her.
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June 22nd, 2009 § § permalink
When I write or speak about Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, the question arises as to how they should be addressed. Should it always be “Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas” or “Miss Stein and Miss Toklas” or “Gertrude and Alice” or somewhat coldly “Stein and Toklas?”
I inaugurated the term “GertrudeandAlice” (one word) when I began this web site since to me they are one interdependent entity and I now use it regularly. “Gertrice/Altrude” was used in an essay about their relationship a number of years ago, though to me that sounds like a new anti-whatever drug advertised on CNN with a myriad of side effects worse than the disorder. » Read the rest of this entry «
