Two months before Gertrude Stein died in Paris, on July 27, 1946, she examined the manuscript for this volume and cabled her enthusiastic approval. By following mail she sent “A Message from Gertrude Stein,” which appears on Page VII. It is probably the last word from her pen.

This Collection, authoritatively gathered by Carl Van Vechten, contains a sample of practically every period and every manner in Gertrude Stein’s career. In it are to be found The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas in its entirety, selected passages from The Making of Americans, “Melanctha” from Three Lives, portraits of the painters Cezanne, Matisse and Picasso, Tender Buttons and Four Saints in Three Acts, all complete and unabridged. In addition there are poems, plays, lecture, articles, sketches, and a generous portion of her famous book on the Occupation of France, Wars I Have Seen.

Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein is in fact a retrospective exhibit of the work of a woman who created a unique place for herself in the world of letters.