--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gertrude Stein was masterly in making…" description: "\"Gertrude Stein was masterly in making nothing happen very slowly\" — Clifton Fadiman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg" --- # Gertrude Stein was masterly in making nothing happen very… ![“Gertrude Stein was masterly in making nothing happen very slowly” quote by Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg) > “Gertrude Stein was masterly in making nothing happen very slowly” [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Gertrude Stein’s style deliberately slows progress, emphasizing the significance of deliberate, measured creation over rapid output. **In simple terms:** Stein’s method values slow, intentional creation. Key Takeaway Embrace deliberate pacing in creative work. Themes creativity patience process Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary observational When to use this quote - writing - painting - software development - research projects Key Concepts slow art deliberate practice literary technique Questions to Reflect On - How can I communicate the value of slow work? - When is speed more appropriate than slowness? A Different Perspective Slow pacing may be misinterpreted as lack of productivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gertrude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gertrude/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gertrude-stein/) [Happen Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happen-slowly-244613/) [Slowly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slowly/) [Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stein-2289707/) [Stein Masterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stein-masterly-4598834/) [Things happen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-happen/) ## Related quotes > [I'll always be Alice Toklas if you'll be Gertrude Stein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-ll-always-be-alice-toklas-if-you-ll-be-gertrude-stein/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [ You are all a lost generation. \[with credit to Gertrude Stein\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-are-all-a-lost-generation-with-credit-to-gertrude-stein/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [Gertrude Stein, all courage and will, is a soldier of minimalism. Her work, unlike the resonating silences in the art of Samuel Beckett, embodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/gertrude-stein-all-courage-and-will-is-a-soldier-of-minimalism-her/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [In a notable family called Stein There were Gertrude, and Ep, and then Ein. Gert's writing was hazy, Ep's statues were crazy, And nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/in-a-notable-family-called-stein-there-were-gertrude-and-ep-and-then/) [Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/) > [“It may have been Gertrude Stein who wrote that to lead a life of any interest, one must first spend time in Paris. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-dorsey/it-may-have-been-gertrude-stein-who-wrote-that-to-lead-a-life-of-any/) [Brigid Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-dorsey/) > [“There ain’t no answer. There ain’t going to be any answer. There never has been an answer. That’s the answer. —Gertrude Stein”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-benjamin/there-ain-t-no-answer-there-ain-t-going-to-be-any-answer-there-never/) [Oliver Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-benjamin/) > [“When Gertrude Stein came to Ann Arbor, my mother said that all she said was, a rose is a rose is a rose is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-emshwiller/when-gertrude-stein-came-to-ann-arbor-my-mother-said-that-all-she/) [Carol Emshwiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-emshwiller/) > [“Godiva was tired and old and Gertrude Stein in spring bought a new car...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-b-toklas/godiva-was-tired-and-old-and-gertrude-stein-in-spring-bought-a-new-car/) [Alice B. Toklas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-b-toklas/) > [It seems to me that an author who has determined very new domains in literature is Gertrude Stein.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-queneau/it-seems-to-me-that-an-author-who-has-determined-very-new-domains-in/) [Raymond Queneau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-queneau/) > [I made nothing happen very slowly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-mccord/i-made-nothing-happen-very-slowly/) [Gary McCord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-mccord/) > [The trouble with progress is that it tends to happen slowly and quietly. It's not necessarily going to shout about itself, or make the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/the-trouble-with-progress-is-that-it-tends-to-happen-slowly-and/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [“In later life most good things happen very slowly; only bad things tend to happen fast.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-edmundson/in-later-life-most-good-things-happen-very-slowly-only-bad-things/) [Mark Edmundson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-edmundson/) > [It seems all "protection" has to be monitored, considered, weighed and justified - I am suggesting we do that (but it's something Mary Shelley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mullen/it-seems-all-protection-has-to-be-monitored-considered-weighed-and/) [Laura Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mullen/) > [Gertrude Stein said, "I write for myself and strangers." I would say I write for myself, strangers and the great dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/gertrude-stein-said-i-write-for-myself-and-strangers-i-would-say-i/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [He came after Homer and before Gertrude Stein, a difficult interval for a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/he-came-after-homer-and-before-gertrude-stein-a-difficult-interval/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) ## More by Clifton Fadiman > [To divide one's life by years is of course to tumble into a trap set by our own arithmetic. The calendar consents to carry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-divide-one-s-life-by-years-is-of-course-to-tumble-into-a-trap-set/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [A good memory is one trained to forget the trivial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/a-good-memory-is-one-trained-to-forget-the-trivial/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [A bottle of wine begs to be shared; I have never met a miserly wine lover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/a-bottle-of-wine-begs-to-be-shared-i-have-never-met-a-miserly-wine/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [ \[Books\] will visit you at your convenience, whether you are lonesome or not, on rainy days or fair. They propose themselves as either transient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/books-will-visit-you-at-your-convenience-whether-you-are-lonesome-or/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [Name me any liquid except our own blood that flows more intimately and incessantly through the labyrinth of symbols we have conceived to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/name-me-any-liquid-except-our-own-blood-that-flows-more-intimately/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [Wine is a civilizing agent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/wine-is-a-civilizing-agent/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [When you read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/when-you-read-a-classic-you-do-not-see-more-in-the-book-than-you-did/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [To take wine into your mouth is to savor a droplet of the river of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-take-wine-into-your-mouth-is-to-savor-a-droplet-of-the-river-of/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The adjective is the banana peel of the parts of speech.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/the-adjective-is-the-banana-peel-of-the-parts-of-speech/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [“Don't be afraid of poetry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/don-t-be-afraid-of-poetry/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [Being a child is in itself a profession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/being-a-child-is-in-itself-a-profession/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [ Seriously, I do not know what to say of this book \[ Absalom, Absalom!\] except that it seem to point to the final blowup… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/seriously-i-do-not-know-what-to-say-of-this-book-absalom-absalom/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [A man who is careful with his palate is not likely to be careless with his paragraphs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/a-man-who-is-careful-with-his-palate-is-not-likely-to-be-careless/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [To feel at home, stay at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/to-feel-at-home-stay-at-home/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [The kind of poetry to avoid in the pretty-pretty kind that pleased our grandmothers, the kind that Longfellow and Tennyson, good poets at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/the-kind-of-poetry-to-avoid-in-the-pretty-pretty-kind-that-pleased/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) [Explore all 62 Clifton Fadiman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) ## More Gertrude quotes > [Age could not wither nor custom stale her infinite monotony: in fact, neither Age nor Custom could do anything (as they said, their voices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-jarrell/age-could-not-wither-nor-custom-stale-her-infinite-monotony-in-fact/) [Randall Jarrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-jarrell/) > [In the early years of the Roaring Twenties, American women not only won the right to vote but they also earned headlines along side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-de-varona/in-the-early-years-of-the-roaring-twenties-american-women-not-only/) [Donna de Varona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-de-varona/) > [He came after Homer and before Gertrude Stein, a difficult interval for a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-carson/he-came-after-homer-and-before-gertrude-stein-a-difficult-interval/) [Anne Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-carson/) > [Gertrude Stein said, "I write for myself and strangers." I would say I write for myself, strangers and the great dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/gertrude-stein-said-i-write-for-myself-and-strangers-i-would-say-i/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [It seems all "protection" has to be monitored, considered, weighed and justified - I am suggesting we do that (but it's something Mary Shelley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mullen/it-seems-all-protection-has-to-be-monitored-considered-weighed-and/) [Laura Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mullen/) > [Michael Bohn provides a rare opportunity to experience the American sporting scene in the Roaring Twenties. A constant stream of legendary characters marches across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-golenbock/michael-bohn-provides-a-rare-opportunity-to-experience-the-american/) [Peter Golenbock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-golenbock/) > [There is a trend in child-rearing that I find abhorrent: "Whatever the kids want to do is fine." For me, the classic example of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/there-is-a-trend-in-child-rearing-that-i-find-abhorrent-whatever-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Gertrude Stein, all courage and will, is a soldier of minimalism. Her work, unlike the resonating silences in the art of Samuel Beckett, embodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hardwick/gertrude-stein-all-courage-and-will-is-a-soldier-of-minimalism-her/) [Elizabeth Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hardwick/) > [I murmured to Picasso that I liked his portrait of Gertrude Stein. Yes, he said, everybody said that she does not look like it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/i-murmured-to-picasso-that-i-liked-his-portrait-of-gertrude-stein-yes/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [I wanted to meet other artists. I suppose I simply felt that I was taking pot shots at clay pipes. Pop! Down goes Gertrude,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bowles/i-wanted-to-meet-other-artists-i-suppose-i-simply-felt-that-i-was/) [Paul Bowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bowles/) > [The two greatest mannequins of the century were Gertrude Stein and Edith Sitwell - unquestionably. You just couldn't take a bad picture of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-vreeland/the-two-greatest-mannequins-of-the-century-were-gertrude-stein-and/) [Diana Vreeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-vreeland/) > [Is the professor who insists we read Ernest Hemingway again instead of Gertrude Stein "obsessing"? Because although I did a BA in English, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-mullen/is-the-professor-who-insists-we-read-ernest-hemingway-again-instead/) [Laura Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-mullen/) > [Going to bed with Gertrude Stein, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Susan Sontag, or Margaret Thatcher: There are some things one prefers neither to do nor to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/going-to-bed-with-gertrude-stein-jeane-kirkpatrick-susan-sontag-or/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [In a notable family called Stein There were Gertrude, and Ep, and then Ein. Gert's writing was hazy, Ep's statues were crazy, And nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-cerf/in-a-notable-family-called-stein-there-were-gertrude-and-ep-and-then/) [Bennett Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-cerf/) > [Because anybody can write, but not everybody invents new forms of writing. Gertrude Stein invented a new form of writing and her imitators are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/because-anybody-can-write-but-not-everybody-invents-new-forms-of/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) [Browse all 46 Gertrude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gertrude/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Gertrude Stein was masterly in making nothing happen very slowly", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Clifton Fadiman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-nothing-happen-very-slowly/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gertrude" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-nothing-happen-very-slowly/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/845/clifton-fadiman-11053_gertrude_gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-no_2163205.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Gertrude Stein was masterly in making nothing happen very slowly” — Clifton Fadiman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Clifton Fadiman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Gertrude Stein was masterly in making...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-nothing-happen-very-slowly/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/gertrude-stein-was-masterly-in-making-nothing-happen-very-slowly/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```