The Letters of Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson

Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson are known as much for their formidable egos as for their contributions to twentieth-century arts. That either could collaborate intimately with anyone is surprising. Yet Stein and Thomson did work together, magnificently so, most notably on the landmark opera Four Saints in Three Acts. This collection of roughly 400 letters from between 1926 and 1946 reveals the spark that existed between the two American masters over the course of their sometimes rocky and always fascinating friendship. It showcases the wildly different but equally remarkable writing styles for which each is justifiably famous. This well-edited and carefully annotated volume will interest readers, critics, and scholars in music, literature, the avant garde arts and modern culture more generally