A Journey into Steinbeck's California

by Susan Shillinglaw, Nancy Burnett (Photographer)

Overview

This part art book, part biography, and part travel guide offers insight into how landscapes and townscapes influenced John Steinbeck's creative process and how, in turn, his legacy has influenced modern California. Various types of readers will appreciate the information in this guide—literary pilgrims will learn more about the state featured so prominently in Steinbeck's work, tourists can visit the same buildings that he lived in and wrote about, and historians will appreciate the engrossing perspective on daily life in early and mid 20th-century California. Offering an entirely new perspective on Steinbeck and the people and places that he brought to life in his writing, this edition includes a wonderful variety of photographs, sketches, and paintings, including some from private, rarely seen collections. With a new preface from the author, updated details on featured websites, a new discussion on Steinbeck’s ecological interests and activities, and an extended exploration of his many travels to Mexico, readers will find delight in this depiction of the symbiotic relationship between an author and his favorite places.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780984625468
Publisher:	Roaring Forties Press
Publication date:	09/15/2011
Series:	IPS
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	222
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Susan Shillinglaw: Susan Shillinglaw is a scholar in residence at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, and a professor of English at San Jose State University, where she was also the director of the Center for Steinbeck Studies for many years.
Nancy Burnett: Nancy Burnett has been photographing the California landscape for more than 30 years. She is the producer of The Shape of Life and Strange Days on Planet Earth for PBS, coproducer of the photographic exhibit Sea Stars for the Smithsonian, and coauthor of The Shape of Life.

What People are Saying About This

Janet Ross

"A rich portrait of Steinbeck's California . . . [with] excellent historical background complemented by clearly defined maps for locations and buildings. . . . Lavishly illustrated."
—former librarian, Sparks Branch Library, Nevada

Editorial Reviews

This amazing book explores Steinbeck's relationship with the area he both loved and hated.

Offbeat Travel

A warm portrait of a man by someone who has the ability to see California through his eyes.

Suite101.com

Generous enough with both text and pictures (modern photos by Nancy Burnett mixed with quality historical photos) to satisfy the armchair traveler

Worducopia

Though he won both a Pulitzer and a Nobel prize, 20th-century American icon writer John Steinbeck was often reviled in his lifetime. This book takes the reader through the unique landscape revealed in this complex writer's books. Shillinglaw (English, San Jose State Univ.), a scholar in residence at the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA, draws a rich portrait of Steinbeck's California, even if at times her text has the tone of a doctoral thesis. Areas covered in depth are Salinas (East of Eden), the Monterey Peninsula (Tortilla Flat and Cannery Row), and Los Gatos (where Steinbeck lived and wrote The Grapes of Wrath). For those who would follow Steinbeck farther afield, his time in Mexico, Baja California, and New York is included. What gives this book a place on any library's shelves is its excellent historical background on places of significance to Steinbeck, complemented by clearly defined maps for locations and buildings. Lavishly illustrated with historic photographs and contemporary scenes by photographer Nancy Burnett, Steinbeck's California concludes with a time line of the writer's life, extensive notes, and a comprehensive index. Highly recommended.-Janet Ross, formerly with Sparks Branch Lib., NV Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

"This amazing book explores Steinbeck's relationship with the area he both loved and hated."  —Offbeat Travel

"Provides a treat for both literary detectives and armchair travelers."  —
TravelSmart

"A warm portrait of a man by someone who has the ability to see California through his eyes."  —Suite 101.com

"A rich portrait of Steinbeck's California . . . excellent historical background. . . . Lavishly  illustrated."  —Janet Ross, former librarian, Sparks Branch Library, Nevada

"This is undoubtedly one of the most useful, delightful and enlightening books ever published on Steinbeck."  —Steinbeck Studies

"Generous enough with both text and pictures (modern photos by Nancy Burnett mixed with quality historical photos) to satisfy the armchair traveler."  —Worducopia

"Shillinglaw's book breathes new life into Steinbeck's story in light-hearted ways. . . will add a wonderful visual dimension to any Steinbeck collection." —Steinbeck Reviews (June 2012)

From the Publisher