American Literature Web Resources: John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck, 1902-1968

Chronology, compiled by Carla Ford, Millikin University

1902 Born on February 27, in Salinas, California to John Ernst II and Olive Hamilton Steinbeck

  1. Started at Stanford University
  1. Wrote for New York American
  1. His first novel, Cup of Gold, was published
  2. Marries Carol Henning
  1. The Pastures of Heaven, a novel, was published

1933 To a God Unknown, a novel, was published

1935 Tortilla Flat, the first popular novel, was published

1936 In Dubious Battle, a novel, was published

1937 Of Mice and Men, a play-novelette, was published

1938 Their Blood Is Strong, nonfiction, is published

A collection of short stories, The Long Valley, is published

1939 The Grapes of Wrath, a novel, is published

1940 The Grapes of Wrath wins the Pulitzer Prize

The Forgotten Village, a documentary, is produced

  1. Separates from Carol

    2. Moves to New York City with a singer, Gwyndolyn Conger

    Sea of Cortez, written with Edward Ricketts, is published

  2. Carol sues for divorce

    3. The Moon is Down, a novel, is published

    Bombs Away, a novel, is published

  3. Marries Gwyn Conger

Writes as a war correspondent for New York Herald Tribune

1944 A son, Thom, is born

1945 Cannery Row, a novel, is published

  1. A second son, John IV, is born

1947 The Wayward Bus, a novel, is published

The Pearl, a novella, is published

  1. A Russian Journal, an account of his 1947 tour of Russia, is published

Divorced by Gwyn

1950 Burning Bright, a novella, is published

Marries Elaine Anderson Scott

  1. The Log from the Sea of Cortez, the narrative part of Sea of Cortez, is published
  2. Viva Zapata!, a film, was released

East of Eden, a novel, was released
  1. Sweet Thursday, a novel, was published (a sequel to Cannery Row)

1957 The Short Reign of Pippen IV, a novel, was published

  1. Once There Was a War, a collection of his wartime dispatches, was published

1961 The Winter of Our Discontent, his twelvth and final novel, was published

1962 Travels with Charley, the journal of his 1960 tour, was published

Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature

1964 Presented with United States Medal of Freedom by President Johnson
  1. American and Americans, reflections on contemporary America, was published
  1. Dies of arteriosclerosis in New York

Secondary Sources

Davis, Robert Murray, eds. Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1972.

French, Warren. John Steinbeck. Boston: Twayne, 1975.

Links

Steinbeck Chronology

Steinbeck bio

Steinbeck page

Steinbeck bibliography

Steinbeck Works

Steinbeck's Pacific Grove

Center for Steinbeck Studies

Last modified April, 1999 by Dr. Michael O'Conner. Contact: moconner@millikinor Click Here to Email