HIS LIFE HIS WORKS

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. was born on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, CA.

He lived most of his life in Monterey County, CA. Steinbeck was an American novelist, story writer, playwright, and

essayist. He graduated from Salinas High School in 1919. Steinbeck’s father was a county treasurer and his mother a

teacher. Steinbeck studied marine biology at Stanford University in which

he left without graduating. He worked many odd jobs until he could get his break in writing.

The home were Steinbeck lived his childhood

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

He met his wife, Carol Henning, in 1928 while working as a tour guide and caretaker at the fish hatchery in Tahoe City.

Steinbeck and Henning were married in January 1930.

Steinbeck wrote a total of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and five collections of short stories.

In 1962, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In 1964, Steinbeck was awarded the United States Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Steinbeck died on December 20, 1968 of a heart attack in New York City.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

JOHN STEINBECK

CUP OF GOLD (19270 THE PASTURES of HEAVEN (1932) THE RED PONY (1933) TO A GOD UNKNOWN (1933) TORTILLA FLAT (1935) IN DUBIOUS BATTLE (1936) OF MICE AND MEN (1937) THE LONG VALLEY (1938) THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1939) THE FORGOTTEN VILLAGE (1941) SEA OF CORTEZ (1941) THE MOON IS DOWN (1942) BOMBS AWAY (1942) CANNERY ROW (1945) THE WAYWARD BUS (1947)

THE PEARL (1947) A RUSSIAN JOURNAL (1948) BURNING BRIGHT (1950) THE LOG FROM THE SEA OF CORTEZ (1951)

EAST OF EDEN (1952) SWEET THURSDAY (1954) THE SHORT REIGN OF PIPPIN IV (1957) ONCE THERE WAS A WAR (1958) THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT (1961)

TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY (1962) AMERICA AND AMERICANS (1966) JOURNAL OF A NOVEL: THE EAST OF

EDEN LETTERS (1969) VIVA ZAPATA! (1975) THE ACTS IF KING AUTHUR AND HIS

NOBLE KNIGHTS (1976) WORKING DAYS: THE JOURNALS OF

THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1989)

In 1929, Steinbeck published his first novel called “Cup of Gold.” This novel didn’t do very well at all because it didn’t earn enough money to pay back the advance of two hundred fifty dollars that was given to him by the publisher.

A couple of years later in 1931 and 1933 he published three short works; The Pastures of Heaven (1932), The Red Pony (1933), and To a God Unknown. These first three novels didn’t earn him much recognition either and virtually went unnoticed.

In 1935, he achieved his first acclaimed success with the novel “Tortilla Flat” which earned him the California Commonwealth Club’s Gold Medal. This humorous tale portrays a group of Mexican Americans in Monterey enjoying life after World War I.

In 1962 Steinbeck published the novel “Travels with Charley.” This story describes Steinbeck’s travel across the United States with his poodle. He traveled in a pickup truck that he modified with a custom-built camper top. Steinbeck describes what he sees on his journey through Maine, Montana, California, Texas and Louisiana and from there back home to Long Island.

The story “Cannery Row” relates in comparison to the story “Tortilla Flat”. Both stories portray the adventures and misadventures of workers in a California cannery.

“Sweet Thursday” is a sequel to “Cannery Row” written in 1954.

The novel“In Dubious Battle (1936)”” focuses on nine hundred migratory workers on a strike led by Jim Nolan who was devoted to this cause.

The novel “Of Mice and Men (1937”) is one of John Steinbeck’s most popular novels. This novel was Steinbeck’s first big success and it was also created into a play which was produced in 1937.

Steinbeck’s novel “East of Eden (1952)” is a long family novel which focuses on a fallen world. This story is set in California and is based partly on the story of Cain and Abel.

Another novel by Steinbeck called “The Moon is Down (1942)” was almost immediately made into a film. It was about the inspired spirit of resistance by the Socrates in an occupied village in northern Europe.

Steinbeck’s last known work “The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights” was started but never finished.

JOHN STEINBECK

In 1945, Steinbeck received the Haakon VII Medal of freedom for his literary contributions to the Norwegian resistance movement.

Many American high schools use some of Steinbeck’s works as required reading. The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California was dedicated to the legacy of

Steinbeck. The Center features the camper truck in which he made his cross country journey described in “Travels with Charley.”

The street Steinbeck described in his novel “Cannery Row”, which was once named Ocean View Avenue, was renamed Cannery Row in 1958 in honor of his novel.

Ed Ricketts’ laboratory which is described in the novel “Cannery Row” still remains in the town of Monterey.

The store which belonged to Lee Chong in which the hobos in “Cannery Row” frequently visited still remains in the town of Monterey.

The United States Postal Service issued a stamp featuring Steinbeck in 1979.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

Benning, Jim. “Retracing Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley.” Copyright- 2010. World Hum. Retrieved from: http://www.worldhum.com/travel-blog/item/retracing-steinbecks-travels-with-charley-201 Web. 21 Sept. 2010

George, Stephen K. “John Steinbeck (1902-1968).” Copyright- 2002. Retrieved from: http://kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm.Web. 20 Sept. 2010

 

Handschuh, Judith. “John Steinbeck.” Copyright- 2003, Teenreads.com.Retrieved from: http://www.teenreads.com/authors/au-steinbeck-john.asp. Web. 21 Sept. 2010

 

Maguire, Frank. “JohnSteinbeck had Charley.” Copyright- Frank Maguire.Retrieved from: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/maguire/10092 Web. 20 Sept. 2010. 

The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies. (Websites about John Steinbeck). “John Steinbeck- The Grapes of Wrath” Copyright- 2010, National Cable Satellite Corporation. Retrieved from: http://www.americanwriters.org/writers/steinbeck.asp

Web. 21 Sept. 2010

Steinbeck, John. “Cannery Row.” Copyright- John Steinbeck, 1945. 23 Sept. 2010

Steinbeck, John. “East of Eden.” Copyright- John Steinbeck, 1952. 23 Sept. 2010

 Steinbeck, John. “Of Mice and Men.” Copyright-

John Steinbeck, 1937. 23 Sept. 2010 Steinbeck, John. “Sweet Thursday.” Copyright-

John Steinbeck, 1954. 23 Sept. 2010

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. “John Steinbeck.” Retrieved from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John-Steinbeck

20 Sept. 2010.