The Arts: John Steinbeck

O ye aspiring writers, harken unto the story of John Steinbeck. Who dropped out of college. Who moved to New York to be a writer, but got nothing published. Whose first three published novels are all but unknown. Who went ten years before finally achieving some critical success with Tortilla Flat.

Once the literary world discovered Steinbeck, it recognized his giant talent. The list of his books reads like your high school summer reading list: Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Cannery Row, East of Eden, The Winter of Our Discontent, and Travels with Charley.

He served as a war correspondent during World War II for the New York Herald Tribune. He chronicled commando raids against the Germans on Mediterranean islands, and published many of his columns later in the book Once There Was a War. The book was made into a documentary, joining 17 other filmed versions of his works.

And, aspiring writers, don’t forget this: John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom From President Lyndon Johnson.

If you ever make it to Salinas, California, be sure to visit the National Steinbeck Center and appreciate this literary shrine. Who knows – there may be a museum built in your honor some day.

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