Synopses & Reviews
Winner of the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1962, John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was one of America's most important and influential writers. Jackson J. Benson's definitive biography explores every aspect of the author's life-his campaigns for the rights of the little people; his stand on the Vietnam War; his Hollywood film scripts; and his ongoing difficulties with fame, the press, and lack of privacy-to reveal the private man behind the public persona.
Winner of the PEN-USA West award for non-fiction
Synopsis
Drawing on John Steinbeck's papers and photographs, and scores of interviews, Jackson J. Benson explores the influences that contributed to Steinbeck's archetypal sense of American culture and his controversial concerns. An in-depth study of the shy, private individual behind many American classics.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 1043-1084) and index.
About the Author
Jackson J. Benson teaches American Literature at San Diego State University. His biography, The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer, won the PEN USA West award for nonfiction. He lives in La Mesa, California.
Table of Contents
John Steinbeck, Writer Preface
Prefatory Note
Prologue
Part One: The Long Valley
Part Two: Apprenticeship
Part Three: Poverty and Success
Part Four: To New York
Part Five: The Quest for New Directions
Part Six: The Last Battle
Acknowledgments
Notes and Sources
Index