Born John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. on February 27, 1902 in Salinas, California

Child of a bookkeeper and teacher, who were of German and Irish descent

His love for reading writing came from his mother, the school teacher

Worked as a farm hand as a child

Graduated from Salinas High School (1919)

Attended Stanford University, but received no degree

Wanted to be a writer, but while in pursuit of that dream, worked as a tour guide and caretaker at a fish hatchery

Met his first wife while working at the fish hatchery

Lived with his first wife in a cottage his father owned

His father bought supplies for him to pursue writing (pen, paper, etc.)

Father gave him money to support himself and allow him to quit working, so he could focus only on writing

Author of sixteen novels, six non-fiction books, and five collections of short stories.

Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962

Considered East of Eden his best accomplishment

Divorced Henning (1st wife) in 1942, after traveling around the Gulf of California to collect biological specimens

In the same month his divorce was final from Henning, he married Gwyn Conger and had two children with her (his only children)

Conger divorced him, citing loneliness – Steinbeck was grieving for his best friend, who was killed by a train, and he never got to say goodbye

Within two years of divorcing Conger, married Elaine Scott, who divorced her husband to be with Steinbeck (This is who he remained married to until his death)

Served as WWII correspondent in Germany and North Africa

Visited the Soviet Union (common day Russia), Ukraine, Israel, and Georgia

Wrote a book about his experiences, and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters

Died on December 20, 1968

Died of heart disease and congestive heart failure

Steinbeck was a lifelong smoker, and his autopsy showed that all of his main arteries were closed

Steinbeck was cremated, and buried with his parents, grandparents, and eventually, his third wife

Steinbeck’s boyhood home was bought and restored. It became a tourist attraction and restaurant

National Steinbeck Center is the only museum in the US dedicated to a single author

His father’s house serves as a tourist attraction

America honored him by giving him a stamp with his face on it, on what would’ve been his 77th birthday

Of Mice and Men is about the dreams of a pair of migrant laborers working the California soil

Themes include: racism, loneliness, prejudice against the mentally ill, and the struggle for personal independence

Turned into a Broadway play, which Steinbeck did not support saying that the play in his mind was perfect, and anything presented on stage would only be a disappointment

Eventually became a feature film in 1939, 1982, and 1992