Gertrude Stein lived her life elsewhere, in a place there was no place there, not quite, not exactly a no place, but certainly not this place. She did come from the town that was then known as Allegheny, now Pittsburgh, part of Allegheny County, but never did learn to spell it correctly. It doesn’t matter entirely, because in her lifetime, the fans she had in the city she was born were keeping quiet. The town thought she seemed a bit too far out there to be able to claim her as their own, but it’s a bit different these days.

Guests to the downtown hotels Pittsburg can try to hunt for the place where she was born, and they will certainly find it, and they will also find a plaque that tells them, yes, this is the place. It’s on the North Side, and there are small tributes to her around the city, and also some activist group’s that take her name and so work to make life better in the city. It is a different place. Everyone in Pittsburgh will tell visitors that, and sometimes it’s a boast, other times it’s almost an apology. In her lifetime, her prose did not get the attention it deserved here, but it did get everyone in Paris to take notice. Living well is the best revenge.

She is the kind of literary celebrity that people notice, and remember, and her image is one that many people recognize around the world. Her personality was famously gregarious and bold. She was one of the few who could take on Hemingway,
and she could also write her way out of anything she wanted to, and thankfully she wanted to write out of many places.

An art collector, famously, and friends with all of the famous painters of her day, and Alice B. Toklas’ partner, and many things that made her one of the most interesting people who ever lived. The world may never see another one like her, but it’s more likely that it will, and this is very good news for everyone in Pittsburgh and beyond.

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