When one recalls writer Gertrude Stein, a host of other associations are ushered in alongside her literature. Experimental and daring, Stein not only challenged the intellectual boundaries of literature but the social limitations of her time as well. Born in 1874, in Allegheny Pennsylvania, Stein grew up in a wealthy, cultured environment. Her parents were Jewish and had emigrated from Europe to America before Stein’s birth. Their connection to Europe drew them back when Stein was three. They spent a portion of Stein’s childhood travelling around, notably visiting Paris, a place which Stein would adopt as her home, and set up her thriving Parisian salon. It is this salon that developed Stein into an eminent figure in the early 1900s, her salon drawing in the likes of Pablo Picasso and Edith Sitwell.

Stein’s time studying at Radcliffe College saw her learn from celebrated American psychologist William James. Her education in psychology was perhaps what sparked her later interest in writing about subconscious layers of personality, as her research into ‘normal motor automatism’ saw her study ‘stream of consciousness’ writing. After she received her degree, she moved on to John Hopkins medical school, urged on by her professors. But the medical field did not interest her, and she dropped out by her fourth year. However, one matter occurred that had a long-lasting and definitive impact on Stein’s life- the discovery of her sexuality, prompted by an intense devotion to another woman. Stein’s identity was now altered, and when she settled in Paris in 1903, it was only a few short years later that she met Alice B. Toklas, the woman who she’d spend the rest of her life with.

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Her eye for promising art pushed her to the forefront of the Parisian social scene

While Stein was known for being eccentric amongst other circles, her eye for promising art pushed her to the forefront of the Parisian social scene. She and her brother Leo would hold gatherings in which people would discuss the paintings that the Stein siblings had collected. It was through these socials that Stein met Pablo Picasso in 1905, and from there they became fast friends. Picasso had an important impact on Stein’s life, introducing her to a wide circle of artists and influential figures, as well as acquainting her with Cubism, a movement that affected Stein’s writing. In 1909, she published Three Lives, which partly focused on artists and their art, and began to further Stein’s reputation, her name reaching across the Atlantic, and towards America.

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Stein is also notable for writing one of the earliest ‘coming out’ narratives, called Q.E.D.

Stein’s literature is ultimately what she is most known for. The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, an autobiography of Stein’s own life, but written from the perspective of Toklas, launched her towards worldwide acclaim. But Stein’s influence amongst the artistic scene in Paris cannot be underestimated- her friendships with the likes of Picasso, Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald furthered literary and artistic tastes worldwide. Stein is also notable for writing one of the earliest ‘coming out’ narratives, called Q.E.D. While Stein had originally written it in 1903, it was only published in 1950, and was inspired by a three-person love affair that she experienced while studying at John Hopkins. Stein’s growing involvement with the queer community inspired her to write the essay, Miss Furr and Miss Skeene, another ‘first’ in terms of published queer narratives. Certainly, Stein’s sexuality influenced her work and led the way for others.

Stein’s life was varied, full of passion and creativity. However, in the final years of her life, Stein, like the world with her, was trapped in the horrors of World War Two. As a Jewish woman, and in a lesbian relationship, Stein was under immense threat. However, protection was given to her by Bernard Fäy, a powerful official of the Vichy government, allowing her to continue living in the countryside of France, undetected by Nazi officers. Stein’s experiences led her to write Wars I have Seen, which detailed life during the Nazi occupation. However, Stein’s support of French leader Phillipe Pétain brought about fierce criticism, and tainted her reputation for the remainder of her life.

When Gertrude Stein died in 1946, she left behind a legacy that was colourful and wild. Her experimental work, despised by some, venerated by others, led the way for modernist literature, and her Parisian salon was legendary for bringing together some of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Stein has also become an important, understated figure in the queer community, and in 1980, Yale University published around 300 love letters, written by Stein and Toklas to one another. Whether or not Stein’s life is remembered for her personality, her artistic contributions, or even for her mistakes, one thing can be certain- her impact on the world continues to resonate, even today, and can be seen in some of the greatest pieces of creative genius around the world.

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