The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas is not the autobiography of Alice B. Toklas at all.
It is actually the autobiography of Gertrude Stein, written by Gertrude Stein in her live-in companion
Alice B. Toklas' voice. Pretty tricky...
"I may say that only three times in my life have I met a genius and each
time a bell within me rang and I was not mistaken, and I may say in each
case it was before there was any general recognition of the quality of
genius in them. The three geniuses of whom I wish to speak are Gertrude
Stein, Pablo Picasso and Alfred Whitehead."
From The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (1932)
In l934, when Gertrude Stein was pushing 60, for the very first time in her
life she had a best-seller. The book was a
personal point of view on 25 years at the center of the modern art movement
in Paris, where a lot of the action passed quite literally through the author's
living room.
If you've never read Gertrude Stein, this is a good place to start...
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas was a popular and financial success. and
Gertrude was pleased as punch. She basked in her success on a victory tour, lecturing at
universities and museums all over America, where she was treated like a pop
star.
With her windfall, she bought...
"a new Ford car, the most expensive
coat made to order by Hermes for Basket the white poodle and two collars
studded for Basket. I had never made any money before in my life and I was
most excited."
