John Steinbeck is considered as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century, but is perhaps more well known in the Cherry Hill East community for authoring the assigned AP Lang summer reading book, The Grapes of Wrath. Regardless of this fact, Steinbeck undoubtedly had a profound influence on literary community outside of East, as throughout his work, he humanized the marginalized, raised awareness about environmental issues, gave a voice to those subject to social injustice, and above all, created work that lasted beyond his own lifetime- work that continues to inspire and resonate with readers today. 

John Steinbeck (in full John Ernst Steinbeck Jr) was born on February 27th, 1902 in Salinas, California, the “Salad Bowl of the Nation”. There, Steinbeck found a sense of patriotism in the the men and women who tolled day and night in Central Valley- something that would undoubtedly affect his later literary career. In 1919, John Steinbeck enrolled at Stanford University, but over the next six years, he would drift in and out of school, eventually leaving behind his prospective degree in English for good in 1925. From there, he moved across the country to New York City, but soon returned to his native state to hone his craft. 

Steinbeck’s first ventures into literature were unsuccessful, but in 1935, he would achieve popularity for the first time with Tortilla Flat. However, in the late 1930s into the 1950s, he would write hit after hit, creating works such as Of Mice and Men (1937), The Graphs of Wrath (1939), and East of Eden (1952)- all of which stand as classics today. 

John Steinbeck is also noted for having written propaganda for the US federal government during World War Two and creating the film adaptations of some of his lesser-known works, such as Forgotten Village (1941) and Viva Zapata! (1952). 

Today, Steinbeck’s reputation relies mostly on the environmental novels with proletarian themes he wrote in the 1930s, works that remain important pillars of American literature today.