John Steinbeck, a legendary American writer, was born in 1902 in Salinas, California. He was responsible for literary masterpieces, such as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, which were published in 1939 and 1937 respectively. In his writing career, he wrote several dozen books that ranged from short stories, to non-fiction books, and he published novels as well. The highlight of his writing career was when he received the coveted Nobel Price for Literature in 1962, well before the need for modern laser toner. In addition to his writing, he proudly served as a war correspondent in World War II and briefly served in the Vietnam War. Following his death on December 20, 1968, he left behind a legacy that is still recognized and respected to this day.

Steinbeck’s literary career was a busy one, with his first book Cup of Gold getting published in 1929 and a book or two almost every year thereafter, until his death. The first major accomplishment came with the book Tortilla Flat in 1935, which helped him to snag the highly sought after California Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal. This story later graduated into a film in the 1940s and further deepened its roots in success. In the “Dirty Thirties” or the period between 1930 and 1940, Steinbeck wrote several more books and found the greatest success with Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. Both of these stories were made into films and Steinbeck won a Pulitzer Prize in 1940 for the success of The Grapes of Wrath. This book was edgy and aggressively liberal for its time and was actually temporarily banned from schools and libraries from August of 1939 to January of 1941.

From 1942 to the later 1940s, Steinbeck wrote books that were inspired by World War II. Though he wasn’t a soldier, he was still exposed to the fighting and the real dangers of the war. The 1950s yielded several more books, another one of which was banned temporarily, East of Eden. In the early 1960s, Steinbeck knew he was starting to slow down, due to his declining health. In 1962 he gladly accepted the Noble Prize, which was a triumphant near-conclusion for his literary career.

A complete listing of his completed work ranges from 1929 to the year 1966:

• Cup of Gold (1929)

• The Pastures of Heaven (1932)

• The Red Pony (1933)

• To a God Unknown (1933)

• Tortilla Flat (1935)

• The Harvest Gypsies: On the Road to the Grapes of Wrath (1936)

• In Dubious Battle (1936)

• Of Mice and Men (1937)

• The Long Valley (1938)

• The Grapes of Wrath (1939)

• Forgotten Village (1941)

• Sea of Cortez: A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research (1941)

• The Moon Is Down (1942)

• Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team (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: A Fabrication (1957)

• Once There Was A War (1958)

• The Winter of Our Discontent (1961)

• Travels with Charley: In Search of America (1962)

• America and Americans (1966)

A short listing for his work published after his death:

• Journal of a Novel (1969)

• The Acts of King Arthur and his Noble Knights (1976)

• Working Days (1989)

John Steinbeck was a very accomplished writer who experienced success well outside of a writer’s norm. Several of his books were made into films, used in classrooms across the country because of their excellent craftsmanship, and the collaborative effort of all of his writings won him several awards. He churned out nearly thirty books in his career and not all of them were well liked or successful. Some of his books were banned for their extreme and arguably inaccurate views of the country, at the time that they were written. Steinbeck’s work remains ground breaking and well respected even today by authors and readers alike. For additional resources and information, please view:

• Center for Steinbeck Studies

• Steinbeck Timeline with his Top 10 Books

• Collection of John Steinbeck Links

• John Steinbeck (1902-1968): A Brief Literary Biography

• The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000

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