Status Updates From Autobiografia Alice B. Toklas

she has just published "three lives" and many newspapers have noticed it. she has now started writing "the making of americans"

so after the medical degree (did she drop out? it was vague "now that everything was over") she went to london "infinitely depressing", then back to america, then to paris. there's mention of a first manuscript that she's a bit shy about. chapter 5 has come but i will leave that for tomorrow

and now she's failing her medical degree because she's bored and not making an effort. i think perhaps when you have a trust fund it must make it difficult to do things you don't have a true interest in.

okay in chapter four it's delving into stein's background and upbringing. her anecdotes are all quite concise and it moves along quite quickly and feels like it's covering lots of ground. she's also good at leaving the dull parts out. i may finish reading this tomorrow with a solid effort

I’m so happy that I splurged on this BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFULLY illustrated edition.

there's a teeny-tiny bit in this book about her writing but mostly it's gossip about artists! i'm not the demographic for this type of thing but will finish anyway as it's educational. the cookbook by alice is more suited to me and my interests

i was kind of interested in how the relationship between gertrude and alice unfolded or what her writing life was like but so far that is a barely touched on topic. it's mostly about gertrude and her brother buying art and the various personalities of the painters in her social circle. there are many big names. will this be the whole book? i'm not sure that will be enough to keep me interested all the way to the end

already i have misunderstood. the photo at the beginning was not alice. it was a picture of gertrude, alice and basket but with alice cropped out! that was contrary to my expectations. but it makes sense. two chapters in, gertrude seems to be the centre of this world and alice has just been invited in

just in the opening pages. the americans book sounded interesting to me but this autobiography sounded more accessible which is why i've chosen it. from the blurb i wouldn't have picked this up but so far i like the voice. (there is also a photograph of alice and basket right at the beginning which i loved! basket is surprisingly tall and regal looking...)