“ A writer of worldwide influence, [John Steinbeck] has helped America to understand herself by finding universal themes in the experience of men and women everywhere.” —Lyndon B. Johnson, Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony JOHN STEINBECK’S 33 LITERARY CLASSICS CAPTURE the sweeping dynamics of life in early 20th-century America, the Salinas Valley and the Monterey Peninsula. Now nearly a century old, books like The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men and The Pearl are still taught in classrooms today. The writer also meaningfully contributed to ocean science through his relationship with Cannery Row’s resident scientist and avid ocean specimen collector Ed Ricketts. The realistic characters and relatable challenges vividly described in Steinbeck’s books led to significant recognition near the end of his life. The Salinas native received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964. John Steinbeck AWARD-WINNING WRITER HISTORIC PROFILE Left: John Steinbeck being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962, "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception," wrote the Nobel Prize Committee at the time. Right: John Steinbeck at approximately five years old (back row, left). Photos courtesy of the National Steinbeck Center
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==