Gertrude Stein

PennSound Stein page Editor: Ulla Dydo

PoemTalk #90, Gertrude Stein's "How She Bowed to Her Brother," feat. Maxe Crandall, Julia Bloch, and Sarah Dowling on July 6, 2015

For complete recording and program notes go to Jacket2

PoemTalk #10, discussing Stein's "Portrait of Christian Bérard," September 8, 2008

Listen to the complete recording and read program notes for the episode at Jacket2.

The Speech Lab Recordings, recorded on January 30, 1935 at Columbia University

Collection editor: Chris Mustazza

These recordings of Stein were made by Columbia Professor of English and Comparative Literature George W. Hibbitt for a record produced by the National Council of Teachers of English, to be distributed to schools on a subscription basis. This series is known as The Contemporary Poets Series, which was started with the recording of Vachel Lindsay by Hibbitt's colleague W. Cabell Greet in 1931. For more information on the series, see my essay "Provenance Report". The recordings below this collection, from Caedmon record TC 1050, originate from these recordings.

The original recordings were made on aluminum records and were subsequently dubbed to reel-to-reel tapes by the Library of Congress. These digitizations are made from the reels, which are stored at Columbia University. --Chris Mustazza, University of Pennsylvania

PennSound wishes to thank the staff at Columbia's Rare Book & Manuscript Library, especially Thai Jones, Jennifer Lee, Karla Nielsen, and Jane Siegel, for helping us to make these recordings available.

From The Making of Americans:

• Comments on The Making of Americans (0:27)
• Fragment 1 (2:54)
  
• Fragment 2 (4:39)
  
• Fragment 3 (5:40)
  
alternate recording of "Fragment 3" (2:31): MP3
• Fragment 4 (2:20)
  
• Fragment 5 (1:31)
  
• Fragment 6 (1:04)
  
• Fragment 7 (2:49)
  
• Fragment 8 (3:08)
  
alternate recording of "Fragment 8" (2:57): MP3

"Portrait of Christian Bérard" and "How She Bowed to Her Brother" are also featured on PoemTalk Episode 10 and PoemTalk Episode 90 respectively.

LP cover painted by Richard Baker (2012)
Working notes by Ulla Dydo

The Making Of Americans
Written 1903 - 1911. Only very early notes were written in 1903 in New York; basically the novel was rewritten and rewritten in Europe. 
The Making of Americans: Parts 1 & 2 (5:38), recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35
(Identical recording to "Fragment 3" above)

Matisse
Written in Paris, early 1911
Matisse (2:47), New York, Recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35
alternate recording of "Matisse" (2:45): MP3

A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson
Written in Paris, 1922
A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson (3:46), Recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35
alternate recording of "A Valentine to Sherwood Anderson" (3:42): MP3

If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso: Text, Audio with Text
Written late Aug. 1923 in Nice / Antibes, where S & T went to see Picasso. Picasso returned to Paris early September, but Stein, working steadily, stayed on for 3 full months, far longer than her usual, short visits.
If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso (3:42), recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35
alternate recording of "If I Told Him: A Completed Portrait of Picasso" (3:36): MP3

The Fifteenth Of November . . . T. S. Eliot
Written Paris, fall 1924, perhaps upon Eliot's visit to rue de Fleurus.
MP3 (3:16)

Portrait of Christian Bérard
Written December  1928 in Paris, in appreciation of Bérard's portrait of Stein that was to become the frontispiece of the first 100 signed copies of DIX PORTRAITS.
Portrait of Christian Bérard (0:49)

"Portrait of Christian Bérard" is also featured on PoemTalk Episode 10.

Madame Recamier. An Opera.
Written in Biligmin, September 1930. Only a very short excerpt of this long text is included in the record. perhaps for lack of (recording) space. It's unfortunate, for this short excerpt in no way represents the libretto.
Madame Recamier: An Opera (3:25), Recorded in New York, Winter 1934-35
alternate recording of "Madame Recamier" (3:24): MP3

How She Bowed To Her Brother (also featured on PoemTalk Episode 90)
Written in Paris, late 1931. Title used here (with "How") is in ms and in opening sentence; other publications leave out the "how."
How She Bowed To Her Brother (2:18)

Interview 1934 (1:19).
Probably the Interview at the Algonquin Hotel, November 1934, upon Stein's arrival.

1947 Columbia Broadcast Recording of Four Saints in Three Acts
Composed by Virgil Thompson

1. Act One (35:13): MP3
2. Act Two (20:06): MP3
3. Act Three (33:31): MP3
   

Courtesy John Whiting
Full Text
See also a clip from the first production with sets by Florinne Stettheimer. 

  
Tender Buttons at 100 Celebration, Kelly Writers House, October 1, 2014

1. Laynie Browne (9:18): MP3
2. Lee Ann Brown (10:04): MP3
3. Angela Carr (6:55): MP3
4. Rachel Blau DuPlessis (7:56): MP3
5. Ryan Eckes (4:25): MP3
6. Jason Mitchell (4:44): MP3
7. Sueyeun Juliette Lee (4:25): MP3
8. Charles Bernstein (15:26): MP3

• September 10, 2008: "Poem Talk 10: Gertrude Stein's 'Portrait of Christian Bernard'"
• December 25, 2007: "Gertrude Stein on PennSound"