132 Central Avenue
Salinas, CA 93901
(831) 424-2735
John Steinbeck was born in this lovely Queen Anne-style home in 1902. He lived here throughout his childhood and came back to stay for brief periods as an adult. It was in this home that he developed a keen enjoyment of literature. His mother, a schoolteacher, began reading to him when he was a baby. In later years, Steinbeck credited his mother with leading him to read Sir Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur, the book that ignited his love of the English language and influenced his writing style.
He moved from this home in 1920 when he went to study English and writing at Stanford University. Upon leaving Stanford, he moved to New York to become a writer. He returned to his Central Avenue home a year later, but not until he had material for his first novel, Cup of Gold (1929).
During his childhood years, Steinbeck vacationed with his family at a cottage in Pacific Grove. He then returned to the cottage to live for a brief time in 1930, bringing with him his bride, Carol Henning. This vacation cottage, which was built by Steinbeck's father, is privately owned and not open to public tours.
The Steinbeck House has been newly restored and is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. as a restaurant. In addition to dining, tourists can enjoy the display of Steinbeck's photographs and memorabilia.
The house also has a gift shop that maintains a wide selection of Steinbeck's books, regional cookbooks, and special gift items.
John Steinbeck (1902-1968)
Born on February 27, 1902, John Steinbeck became one of America's leading authors. He charmed critics and the public alike with his short stories, novels, and nonfiction.
Although his first two novels received little attention, Steinbeck soon developed a reputation with his earnest social commentary. Tortilla Flat (1935), his first popular success, led the way for a prolific outpouring of fiction--In Dubious Battle was published in 1936, Of Mice and Men followed in 1937, and his most famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939. He continued to write fiction until 1960 when his last novel, The Winter of Our Discontent was published.
Steinbeck received several writing awards including the Pulitzer Prize in 1939 for The Grapes of Wrath and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962.
His nonfiction works include The Sea of Cortez (with E. F. Ricketts, 1941) and Travels with Charley (1962).
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Ella Robinson's Literary Tour topic, please visit the Discussions page.