Living in California is a great opportunity to study Steinbeck because he talks about ethnic diversity and the landscapes of California. I think as a writer, he’s a good way to learn about the history of California and the people that lived here.

As a faculty member of the NEH Steinbeck Institute for educators, I am so excited to finally be able to create this experience for a group of high school students ready to conduct focused research and field work related to the ecological, agrarian, historical, communal, artistic, and cultural issues found in John Steinbeck’s works.