Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Gertrude Stein

Ms Stein... prefers to write outdoors, after she gets dressed. Especially in the Ain country, because there are rocks and cows there. Miss Stein likes to look at rocks and cows in the intervals of her writing. The two ladies drive around in their Ford till they come to a good spot. Then Miss Stein gets out and sits on a campstool with pencil and pad, and Miss Toklas fearlessly switches a cow into her line of vision. If the cow doesn't seem to fit in with Miss Stein's mood, the ladies get into the car and drive on to another cow. When the great lady has an inspiration, she writes quickly, for about fifteen minutes. But often she just sits there, looking at cows and not turning a wheel.
-The New Yorker October 13, 1934

1 comment:

charles said...

three weeks ago, i went to the met to see the vermeer "milkmaid." BREATHTAKING! as a bonus, i got to see picasso's gertrude stein. it is really good.