USEFUL KNOWLEDGE

New York: Payson & Clarke, 1928. First printing. Very good minus in very good minus jacket.. First edition of Stein's collection of experimental portraits and linguistic investigations - in the uncommon original jacket. Representing her mature period of radical innovation, USEFUL KNOWLEDGE exemplifies Stein's practice of "prolonged" or "continuous present" writing which aimed to capture the essence of experience - rather than its mere description. In addition, the book was in many ways a direct challenge to critics opposed to her experimental approaches: "The 1928 publication USEFUL KNOWLEDGE is part of Gertrude Stein's response to a mid-1920's dispute over her authorship. On one side of this debate, Stein's oeuvre is figured as 'imbecilic,' and, on the other, it is presented as manifesting a new type of 'intelligence' emerging with modern democracy [...] The 1928 material Stein produces to frame USEFUL KNOWLEDGE, a collection of pieces written between 1919 and 1926, offers a defense [...] by presenting her work as exemplary of a democratized American intellect." A handsome production, featuring the scarce original dust jacket's (uncredited) bold modernist typography. 9.25'' x 5.75''. Original full black cloth. In original unclipped (no price, as issued) printed jacket. [6], 210 pages - plus two publisher ads bound at the front. Jacket moderately toned, rubbed, and soiled with some edgewear and splitting here and there. Book slightly bowed and a little musty. Stein to front endpaper. Offsetting to final page. Overall sound and complete.