Category Archives: News

On our pilgrimage to the sites of Stein’s “mystery” novel, the impression of sadness, the all-pervasive dread of French country life deepened at the Hotel Pernollet. (Here, as the center of the world, on a postcard from the 80s.) Situated … Continue reading →

Our sleuthing began 75 km east of Lyon on an empty country road, between rabbit cages and sad bistros. Whereas nowadays a plaque guides the pilgrims in the village of Bilignin, back then, when I translated Stein’s mystery story, you … Continue reading →

Translating Stein’s murder mystery Blood on the Dining-Room Floor was very much a case of transleaping. I had to leap into a language, German, that gives every noun, article and personal pronoun one of three possible genders: feminine, masculine, neuter. … Continue reading →

After the marker of 5O Stein blogs — talking about Stein’s one and only writing block –- did I contract one myself? No, for me, too, writing went on, on another page. Finishing a novel, writing about opera. Stein was … Continue reading →

Writing lessons from Gertrude Stein. Gleaning through my field of ALA (American Literature Association) notes, I found exciting snippets from a Stein panel that still hums through my mind. “Why Is Gertrude Stein So Important?” was the panel, dominated by … Continue reading →

“Why is Gertrude Stein So Important?” was the title of one panel at the American Literature Association last weekend, with an entire day of panels on Stein. I was invited to talk about her murder mystery “Blood on the Dining-Room … Continue reading →

The Story of the Safety Pin. Gertrude was the guest of honor at the Diane Middlebrook Salon in San Francisco, this past Sunday, May 23rd, and what a ball she had! Another heroine pioneer of her time, Amelia Earhardt, shared … Continue reading →

What it would be like if Proust, Pound, Joyce and Stein had to be “authorpreneurs” and polish their FaceBook Fan pages and emit daily tweets? Are there other writers who are sometimes overcome, as I am, by the merry absurdity … Continue reading →

Happy birthday, Gertie! She is turning 136 this year in her very own ageless way. And here is the mythical birth as told in the Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas: “Gertrude Stein was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. As I am … Continue reading →