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The Third Rose: Gertrude Stein and Her World
Traces the life of Gertrude Stein, describes her education, and discusses the themes and style of her writing
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
428 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
About the author
John Malcolm Brinnin
51 books3 followersWhen still a boy, Brinnin's parents moved to Detroit, Michigan. Brinnin went to the University of Michigan for his undergraduate studies where he won three Hopwood Awards in 1938, 1939 and 1940. He worked his way through school in an Ann Arbor book store. During part of this time (1936–1938), Brinnin served as the editor of the journal Signatures. Graduating from Michigan in 1942, Brinnin went to Harvard University for graduate work.
From 1949 to 1956 Brinnin was Director of the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Poetry Center, popularly known today as the 92nd Street Y. While there he raised the center to national attention as a focal point for poetry in the United States. He was, for example, the first person to bring Dylan Thomas to the United States and his 1955 book Dylan Thomas in America describes much of his attempt to befriend and help the troubled Welsh poet.
In addition to his work on Thomas, Brinnin published six volumes of his own poetry. Brinnin also wrote scholarly works on T. S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, Truman Capote, and William Carlos Williams; and published three personal travelogues.
Brinnin taught in a number of universities over his career. At various times, he gave courses at Vassar College, Boston University, the University of Connecticut, and Harvard University.
Brinnin died in Key West, Florida on June 25, 1998. His papers were left to the University of Delaware.
From 1949 to 1956 Brinnin was Director of the Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association Poetry Center, popularly known today as the 92nd Street Y. While there he raised the center to national attention as a focal point for poetry in the United States. He was, for example, the first person to bring Dylan Thomas to the United States and his 1955 book Dylan Thomas in America describes much of his attempt to befriend and help the troubled Welsh poet.
In addition to his work on Thomas, Brinnin published six volumes of his own poetry. Brinnin also wrote scholarly works on T. S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein, Truman Capote, and William Carlos Williams; and published three personal travelogues.
Brinnin taught in a number of universities over his career. At various times, he gave courses at Vassar College, Boston University, the University of Connecticut, and Harvard University.
Brinnin died in Key West, Florida on June 25, 1998. His papers were left to the University of Delaware.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 25, 2025
A biography of Gertrude Stein (and Her World) written in the 1950s. My appreciation for this biography vacillated. In his introduction Brinnin appears to not even admire Stein; yet the bulk of the text is more enthusiastic. He spends many pages on Leo Stein, suggesting he was Gertrude's mentor or tutor, without acknowledging that perhaps Gertrude did not require guidance from her brother (or anybody else) in order to discover and develop her talents. (The fact that Gertrude Stein was able to embrace and nourish her talents, while Leo Stein waffled around unfocussed and unproductive, might even suggest that Gertrude was better positioned to mentor and tutor her brother, but this biography never considers that possibility.)
There are long chapters on the relationship between Stein's work and concurrent developments in painting, notably Cubism. The overwrought concepts in these chapters are obscure and did not manage to infiltrate my thick skull. The chapters dealing with Stein's relationships with other writers and publishers were more interesting.
Having read more recent biographies foregrounding feminist and queer perspectives in Stein's life and work, these aspects were glaringly absent in this 1950s book. The nature of the relationship between Stein and Alice B. Toklas is never named as being anything other than friendship. So many of the important relationships in the life of this long term couple can be illuminated if viewed through a particular lens that Brinnin either avoids or addresses in a catty manner that indicates he knew more than he dared to mention. Check out this snide and loaded reference (source of the embedded quote not disclosed in the text):
Brinnin is strangely dismissive of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. Although mentioning it was a "spectacular bestseller" he spends more time detailing the lack of interest in her work. The Autobiography is dealt with in only a few pages, and he condescendingly dismisses its readers: "Individuals who had never read a line of her work beyond the Autobiography defended her with a vehemence that often merely disguised ignorance."
Many of Brinnin's assertions and judgements have not aged well. For example, Brinnin points out that the "celebrated young novelist" Glenway Wescott "received from the somewhat imperious hostesses of '27' less attention than his distinction would seem to warrant." Gertrude Stein felt Wescott had "a certain syrup but it just doesn't pour." Whose opinion has best stood the test of time? (Wescott is best known today among historians as being a gay American writer at a time when such creatures were believed to be purely mythological.)
Writing in the 1950s from a historical and classical perspective this biographer failed to anticipate art world revolutions such as the Pop Art of the 1960s, and other post-modernist movements in which Gertrude Stein's influence is widely acknowledged and continues to be examined.
There are long chapters on the relationship between Stein's work and concurrent developments in painting, notably Cubism. The overwrought concepts in these chapters are obscure and did not manage to infiltrate my thick skull. The chapters dealing with Stein's relationships with other writers and publishers were more interesting.
Having read more recent biographies foregrounding feminist and queer perspectives in Stein's life and work, these aspects were glaringly absent in this 1950s book. The nature of the relationship between Stein and Alice B. Toklas is never named as being anything other than friendship. So many of the important relationships in the life of this long term couple can be illuminated if viewed through a particular lens that Brinnin either avoids or addresses in a catty manner that indicates he knew more than he dared to mention. Check out this snide and loaded reference (source of the embedded quote not disclosed in the text):
Normal people bored her to distraction and as a result the regulars at "27" came to include "Young men who did not know precisely what they were, and distinguished elderly gentlemen who knew only too well, and assorted ladies in pairs," along with a complement of figures of every conceivable artistic type and temperamental persuasion.
Brinnin is strangely dismissive of The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas. Although mentioning it was a "spectacular bestseller" he spends more time detailing the lack of interest in her work. The Autobiography is dealt with in only a few pages, and he condescendingly dismisses its readers: "Individuals who had never read a line of her work beyond the Autobiography defended her with a vehemence that often merely disguised ignorance."
Many of Brinnin's assertions and judgements have not aged well. For example, Brinnin points out that the "celebrated young novelist" Glenway Wescott "received from the somewhat imperious hostesses of '27' less attention than his distinction would seem to warrant." Gertrude Stein felt Wescott had "a certain syrup but it just doesn't pour." Whose opinion has best stood the test of time? (Wescott is best known today among historians as being a gay American writer at a time when such creatures were believed to be purely mythological.)
Writing in the 1950s from a historical and classical perspective this biographer failed to anticipate art world revolutions such as the Pop Art of the 1960s, and other post-modernist movements in which Gertrude Stein's influence is widely acknowledged and continues to be examined.
May 6, 2012
I long ago realized, and now fully embrace, that biography is a very hard genre to do well. And that most biography, the vast majority of it, in fact, is simply NOT done well. All the facts are there (most of the time), but the narrative arc is missing. Or the prose are stilted. Or the biographer is so clearly biased it distracts from the story of the life itself (every Fitzgerald biography, e.g.). Or it just kinda sucks. This one wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't good.
May 15, 2012
I thought this book was great. I also read it because I was fascinated with Gertie, and I wanted to learn as much about her as possible. I sought this book out. Which is why I liked ity. I don't think it lends itself to casual reading.
Part biography, and part writing critique, there were moments where it could go over my head... while I'm interested in Ms. Stein as a person (and Ms. Toklas for whom I've had a harder time finding a biography) I've not actually read any of her writing.
This book did serve to give me an idea on where to start if I want to read Gertrude's works. It also gave me an idea of the person behind the work, which I think is important because it appears that the only people who ever really got her were the people who knew about her background. I still feel there's a lot more I could learn about her - while her accomplishments are listed consistently, I still wonder about her mannerisms. Also, while the book continued on the narrative, it wasn't very good about letting me know what year it was... if I really wanted to know that stuff I would have had to keep a timeline.
Anywho, despite loving this book, because I love the subject, I'm only rating it 3 stars, because it's not a book I'd recommend unless someone was really looking for an in depth look as Mme. Stein.
Part biography, and part writing critique, there were moments where it could go over my head... while I'm interested in Ms. Stein as a person (and Ms. Toklas for whom I've had a harder time finding a biography) I've not actually read any of her writing.
This book did serve to give me an idea on where to start if I want to read Gertrude's works. It also gave me an idea of the person behind the work, which I think is important because it appears that the only people who ever really got her were the people who knew about her background. I still feel there's a lot more I could learn about her - while her accomplishments are listed consistently, I still wonder about her mannerisms. Also, while the book continued on the narrative, it wasn't very good about letting me know what year it was... if I really wanted to know that stuff I would have had to keep a timeline.
Anywho, despite loving this book, because I love the subject, I'm only rating it 3 stars, because it's not a book I'd recommend unless someone was really looking for an in depth look as Mme. Stein.
August 1, 2014
It was a great read. I've read some other accounts and enjoyed this one. I remember meeting the author in Key West years ago.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews