Romancing the Gods: James Baldwin & Gertrude Stein

All PEN World Voices Festival tickets are non-refundable. Please confirm the time and location of your event before finalizing your purchase.

Few writers have shaped the landscape of 20th-century literature like James Baldwin and Gertrude Stein.

Groundbreaking new biographies offer up fresh insights and perspectives on these literary legends. In Baldwin: A Love Story, Nicholas Boggs draws on extensive archival research to show how Baldwin’s intimate relationships shaped his life and work. Francesca Wade’s Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife uses newly released archival materials to unearth the origins of Stein’s innovative writing style and examine how her storied relationship with Alice B. Toklas shaped the mythology of Stein.

In this lively conversation moderated by biographer and New Yorker staff writer Judith Thurman, Boggs and Wade will speak about their discoveries in the archive, the innovative approaches they took to shed new light on their subjects, and the writing of these iconic figures.

The 2026 PEN World Voices Festival is a celebration of world literature and free expression. The 2026 edition will be the 21st World Voices Festival. Over four days, more than 140 writers from 40 countries will be featured in engaging talks, panels, readings, and activations in New York City and greater Los Angeles.

Visit for more information about the entire festival, as well as PEN America.

This space is ADA compliant. An elevator is onsite that goes to the event space.

ASL interpretation is available for this event by request only. Please reach out to our Box Office team at [email protected] by April 15th to request.

Please ask a Box Office Attendant or festival representative upon arrival for directions to accessible seating if preferred.

For further information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

AIA New York | Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, New York, United States

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