Steinbeck Today

The fiftieth anniversary of John Steinbeck's death in New York occasioned coverage on foreign news sites, appreciative editorials, and community commemoration in Sag Harbor. It was marred by domestic news, including renewed litigation over film rights and publication of the transcribed recording by Steinbeck's second wife of her account of their relationship. Pending publication of William Souder's life of Steinbeck, the best new writing on Steinbeck is an astute online essay by a British blogger, who implicitly answers Orwell's charge that Steinbeck lacked significance, and a compelling profile by a seasoned journalist who adds dimension and detail about the author that is likely to be cited widely in the future.