Gertrude Stein was an American novelist and poet.  Stein moved to France at the beginning of the 20th century and became a notable art collector.  Stein is now perhaps best known for her contributions to lesbian literature, particularly The Autobiography of Alice Toklas, which was written in the voice of her life partner.

Tender Buttons is a book of poetry consisting of three sections: Objects, Food, and Rooms.  Some scholars believe that this book contains some of the details of Stein's relationship with Toklas.