Alice B Toklas in the Background for so Long

If the name Alice B. Toklas does not ring a bell to you, yet you know who Gertrude Stein is, be ready to learn the other half of Gertrude Stein's life. Alice B. Toklas was Gertrude Stein's partner, and was also a writer and an excellent cook. Alice B. Toklas was in the background of Gertrude Stein's fame in the 1920's, and her work was not noticed until much later after Gertrude Stein died. Why is this you ask? Let's find out.
Before we get into why Alice B. Toklas was in the background for so long or where she was during Gertrude Stein's most famous days, lets get to know a little more about her. She was born in San Francisco and met Gertrude Stein, her partner, in Paris in 1907. They were both born in America but met in Paris. Alice B. Toklas was a chain smoker and had a slight mustache, even though she was the feminine half of the relationship. Alice and Gertrude had a lot of crude nicknames for each other. In 1908, Toklas started typing Stein's manuscripts for her and then by 1909 they were a big part of each others' lives. Alice B. Toklas took over all of Gertrude Stein's housework, especially cooking. Out of everything that Alice did, she was the best at cooking and wrote many cookbooks that I will talk more about later. During most days, Gertrude went to the local cafes and talked about literature with other writers in the area, who were all men. Gertrude Stein came up with the name "The Lost Generation" for the writers she engaged with. She called them that because this time period was between the wars and nobody had the time to appreciate the literature.

During Gertrude Stein's days of fame, Alice B. Toklas was always there but never recognized until later. The reason for this was mainly because she was a feminine woman who wrote very precise, clear, and to the point. On the other hand, Gertrude Stein's style of writing was very confusing and what was expected in that time era. Also, Gertrude was the man of the relationship so she was more accepted into the group of male writers, because there weren't any other female writers who wrote in the style that she did. Alice B. Toklas would sit at their home with other writers' wives like Ernest Hemingway's and all of the others from The Lost Generation. Alice B. Toklas would hangout with them all day, drinking tea and talking about lady stuff while Gertrude Stein was out with the men. Their relationship was not accepted. During their time, gays and lesbians was just not heard of. Two women living in the same house together was not a problem but then becomming married shocked everyone.
After Gertrude Stein died in 1946, Alice B. Toklas became way more known. Her cookbook recipe for cannabis brownies became famous worldwide. She invented the hash butter which is still used to this day, and some people say the word "toke" came from her last name Toklas. The cookbook Alice B. Toklas Cookbook contained many other recipes that were used by many people in Europe and The United States today.