Notes

- Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California on February 27th, 1902
- He was of English, German, and Irish descent
- His father worked as a treasurer while his mother was a former school teacher
This is presumably where Steinbeck's passion for reading and writing stemmed from
- Steinbeck lived in a small rural valley about 25 miles away from the pacific coast, where he would spend summers working on nearby ranches or with migrant workers
It was here that he learned about the harsher aspects of migrant life and human nature in general, which led to some of most his famous works such as "Of Mice and Men" and
"The Grapes of Wrath"

- Steinbeck graduated from Salinas High School in 1919 and was the school's class president
- He would then go on to attend Stanford University in order to study English Literature, but left without receiving a degree in 1925
- He then traveled around the country from the years 1925 - 1930, working odd jobs while he continued to write; during this time he would meet his first wife Carol Henning in
California
- Together, they lived in a variety of places while finding different ways to make money
- Eventually, the two of them moved into Steinbeck's father's cottage, where they received free housing and small loans that allowed him to keep writing without having to search for jobs
- During the Great Depression, Steinbeck bought a small boat, living off of fish from the sea and vegetables from local gardens
- After these resources were all depleted however, Steinbeck and Henning began accepting welfare
- this is a picture of the Steinbeck family cottage that he lived in for a period of time

- In 1930, Steinbeck would go on to meet the marine biologists Ed Ricketts,
Ricketts became a close friend/mentor that taught him about philosphy and biology
- From the years 1930 - 1936, the two became close friends, forming a bond over their love of music and art
Together, Steinbeck learned about biology while Ricketts learned about ecological philosphy
- Steinbeck's wife became the secratary bookkeeper at Ricketts lab, while Steinbeck himself helped on an informal basis

- Steinbeck's first novel "Cup of Gold" was published in 1929, it was loosely based on the life and death of a privateer named Henry Morgan
- Between 1930 and 1933, Steinbeck published three shorter works: "The Pastures of Heaven", "The Red Pony", and "To a God Unknown"
- Steinbeck's first critical sucess came with "Tortilla Flat", which was published in 1935
- Steinbeck then went on to write a series of "California Novels" and "Dust Bowl Fiction", some of which being his most renowned works: "In Dubious Battle", "Of Mice and Men", and "The Grapes of Wrath"