This Norton Critical Edition includes both Three Livesand Q.E.D., first published in 1909 and 1950, respectively. Three Livesis comprised of the stories 'The Good Anna,' 'Melanchtha,' and 'The Gentle Lena.' 'Melanchtha' is an adaptation of Q.E.D., Stein's first completed novel, which remained unpublished until four years after her death. 'Contexts' is divided into two sections—'Biography' and 'Intellectual Backgrounds'—that highlight the inspirations for and evolutions of Three Livesand discuss the difficult reception Stein's experimental writing met with in the publishing world. 'Criticism' collects 19 chronologically arranged essays on Stein's life and work, from pieces written during the decades in which her work was regarded as important primarily for its influence on writers such as Ernest Hemingway and Sherwood Anderson to the more laudatory scholarship of recent years. Feminism and form, queer studies, interrelations of race and sexuality, African American studies, and primitivism and eugenics are all represented. Among the critical pieces are William Carlos Williams's commentary on Stein's complexity and originality, Richard Bridgman's study of Stein's work as a possible compensation and camouflage for her lesbianism, and Lisa Ruddick's essay connecting feminist analysis to theories of consciousness. A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included. About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.