Tender Buttons Quotes

“replacing a casual aquaintance with an ordinary daughter does not make a son.”
― Gertrude Stein, Tender Buttons

“There is no use in a smell, in taste, in teeth, in toast, in anything, there is no use at all and the respect is mutual.

Why should that which is uneven, that which is resumed, that which is tolerable why should all this resemble a smell, a thing is there, it whistles, it is not narrower, why is there no obligation to stay away and yet courage, courage is everywhere and the best remains to stay.”
― Gertrude Stein, Tender Buttons

“If red is in everything it is not necessary. Is that not an argument for any use of it and even so is there any place that is better, is there any place that has so much stretched out.”
― Gertrude Stein, Tender Buttons

“A bag which was left and not only taken but turned away was not found. The place was shown to be very like the last time. A piece was not exchanged, not a bit of it, a piece was left over. The rest was mismanaged.”
― Gertrude Stein, Tender Buttons