She was the ultimate American in Paris. An expat, ex–med student, and bohemian newbie art collector, Stein used her salon and support of the Euro avant-garde modernists to launch the careers of Henri Matisse and, of course, emerging artiste Pablo Picasso. Of all the women in Picasso’s life, Stein was the most perplexing, his muse and confidante. They were as much competitors as compadres: Stein, the writer, often reminding people of her very own genius, often to the peril of her own relationships; Picasso, more charming, more controlling, always the painter first, writer later, allowing his genius to be praised by others. Her celebrity was indisputable, his genius was indisputable, their bond fraught but indestructible. Sacré bleu! Quelle dramatique!