Prospects for the Study of Gertrude Stein

Abstract

Perhaps more than any other modernist, Gertrude Stein's exhilarating though sometimes exhausting genre-defying writing invites ongoing philosophical, aesthetic, and cultural explorations of and engagement with language, grammar, indeterminacy, conventional expression, and nonlinear modes of reading and writing. For decades, a continuous stream of single-author, book-length studies; a steady succession of peer-reviewed articles; frequent coverage in the mainstream press; and an enduring influence on contemporary artists and writers have all indicated that Gertrude Stein's work and legacy still capture the scholarly and popular imagination. This article offers resources for scholars and students interested in Stein studies, provides an overview of Stein's work, considers trends in past and current criticism, and discusses possibilities for new areas of inquiry.