John John SteinbeckSteinbeck

B I O G R A P H Y

John Steinbeck was one of the best-

known and most widely read American

writers of the 20th century.

John Ernst Steinbeck was born in Salinas (CA) on February 27.

1902

J.Steinbeck´s family:

His father John Ernst Steinbeck, Sr., was a County Treasurer, his mother Olive Hamilton Steinbeck was a teacher. J.Steinbeck was their third child. He had two older sisters: Elizabeth and Esther and a younger one, Mary.

1919 Graduated from Salinas High School in June.

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(year) (event)

About John Steinbeck´s Life

1919 J.Steinbeck started to study at Stanford University.

1925 He left Stanford University without a degree and pursued his writing career in New York.

information During his studies he worked periodically at various jobs to earn money.

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He left Stanford because he disliked the university lifestyle. In New York he was not successful in getting his writing published, so he returned back to California.

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1929 His first novel Cup of Gold was published.

1930He married his first wife, Carol Henning

( divorced 1942).

1935 Tortilla Flat was published turning point in his literary career.

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1937 Of Mice and Men is published.

T. F. marked the turning point in his literary career when he was awarded the California Commonwealth Club's Gold Medal for best novel by a Californian author. Now he was famous and people knew his name.

The Grapes of Wrath won the Pulitzer Prize.1939

He divorced his first wife, Carol Henning. That same year he married Gwyn Conger, his second wife.

1942

1940He travelled around the Gulf of California with his friend Ed Ricketts. Both were very interested in marine biology.

His first son, Thomas Myles Steinbeck, was born.

informationThomas and John were Steinbeck´s only children.

1944

1946 John Steinbeck IV was born.

1948 He divorced his second wife, Gwyn Conger.

In the Second World War Steinbeck was a war correspondent for a New Yorker newspaper.

1943

1950 He married his third wife Elaine Scott.

information Elaine Scott was the ex-wife of actor Zachary Scott. They stayed married until his death.

Ed Ricketts died. 1949

He wrote one of his most popular novels, East of Eden.

1952

He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature “...for his realistic as well as imaginative writings, distinguished by a sympathetic humor and a keen social perception.”

1962

1960 He wrote Travels with Charley. [Charley was Steinbeck‘s dog.]

informationHe wrote the book during a coast-to-coast road trip he took across the U.S. The reason for the trip was that he knew he would die and he wanted to see his country one last time.

1964 He got the United States Medal of Freedom from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

1967 He went to Vietnam as a war correspondent.

1968 John Steinbeck died in New York City on December 20th after a heart attack.

information His body was cremated and his ashes were put in an urn at the family gravesite, like he had wished.

J.S.first wife: Carol Henning

second wife: Gwyn Conger

third wife: Elaine Scott

best friend: Ed Ricketts

Thomas Myles

John St. IV

Olive Hamilton Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck Sr.

parents

sons:

(12 years)

(6 years)

(18 years – until his death)

Elizabeth Esther Mary

In his childhood he spent summers working on nearby ranches and he often worked together with migrant labourers. So he got to know a lot of information about them.

He also explored the area when he walked across local forests, fields and farms.

All this material is the background for most of his short stories.

To John Steinbeck his hometown Salinas played an important role. When he lived in big cities like New York, he often visited Salinas. That was the place where he felt at home.

Many stories were made into film, for example East of Eden and also Of Mice and Men.

resources: steinbeck.org / wikipedia.de

a presentation

by

Franka Dreyer & Kristina Gessat

THE END