Though this is horribly late, and I will not be as well-written as I would like about it, I feel like I must do what is right and divulge my thoughts about Gertrude Stein.
I wish I could be one tenth as confident about my writing as Gertrude Stein is about hers. She was prideful to a fault, it seems, disavowing her own brother for merely joking about her writing style. Though I'm fairly certain I wouldn't do that, that level of confidence in oneself is most certainly necessary when you are doing something so radically different, so radically clever.
That being said, Four Saints read to me like essentially all of the poems I have read from Gertrude - meaning that it was stark, rhythmically jarring, and altogether exciting to read. I do not have a problem with not being able to explain personally the technical, social, or artistic ramifications for her work, or the justifications and inspirations behind them. Those things are for scholars and Gertrude herself to do. I, as recognized as a student, should not be able to do so. I could take a swing at it, and from what I've read about her, I might be able to be in the ballpark.
What I really believe I should do with her writing is explain what feeling it gave me when I read it, not try to define why I feel that way. As a student, and therefore a consumer of writers' works; I am also, mainly, merely a consumer in the crowd. Therefore I should be able to say I am either entertained or not...and I was. I was even more entertained with the energy in the performance we watched. Being able to watch, and hear, the music and lyrics come together in a way completely outside of my mind was exciting.
And I'm sorry I sound like a douche. And for this being a week late.
Great. I think Stein is a lot about feeling, and sound, and getting out of how we usually think and use language. I'm glad you find her exciting! Many people just dismiss her because they think it's all nonsense or whatnot... but it's just a different kind of sense.
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