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WHEREAS, Gertrude Stein was born February 3, 1874 on Beech Avenue in Allegheny City, now Pittsburgh’s Allegheny West neighborhood on the North Side; and,
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WHEREAS, Stein's avant-garde approach to language and experimental poetics challenged traditional norms, influencing the trajectory of modernist thought; and,
WHEREAS, Stein’s literary contributions, epitomized in works like Three Lives and Tender Buttons, were characterized by linguistic innovation and a departure from conventional narrative structures; and,
WHEREAS, Stein had an impact that extended beyond her writing, as her Parisian salon became a nexus for creative minds, fostering collaborations with artistic giants like Picasso, Matisse, and Duchamp; and,
WHEREAS, Stein's philosophies of language, notably expressed in her seminal work The Making of Americans, questioned linguistic conventions, paving the way for future explorations in semiotics and linguistics; and,
WHEREAS, beyond her intellectual pursuits, Stein was an early LGBTQ+ icon whose lifelong partnership with Alice B. Toklas became an emblematic representation of same-sex love at a time when such relationships, especially in Nazi-occupied France where they lived, often faced grave public challenges; and,
WHEREAS, despite leaving Pittsburgh when she was less than a year old, Stein described herself as a North Side native throughout her long, distinguished, and glamorous life; and,
WHEREAS, on February 3, 2024, Pittsburgh and the North Side will celebrate Gertrude Stein’s avant-garde spirit and pivotal role in the evolution of modern thought and cultural expression.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does commend Gertrude Stein for her innovative writing and for being a pioneer in the arts;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby declares Saturday, February 3rd, 2024, to be “Gertrude Stein Day” here in the City of Pittsburgh.