John Steinbeck - Flawed Genius | Biographical Documentary

In his writing John Steinbeck was a champion of the downtrodden, the overworked and underpaid and those who were just unlucky - a man of high principles and a fierce critic of men who used their power in heavy-handed ways.
But in his personal life, he was very different - selfish, blunt to the point of rudeness, a hard-drinker with a distinct mean streak.
A complicated and contradictory man who could be incensed by injustice yet be surly, self-obsessed and chillingly inconsiderate with his own family.
In this biographical documentary, Prof Graeme Yorston, explores the multifaceted life of one of America’s greatest writers, John Steinbeck, from his perspective as a psychiatrist.
To get beneath the surface and understand both the motivations for his writing and the drivers of his less praiseworthy behaviour.
Finding Out More
If you want to find out more about Steinbeck, there are two great biographies: Mad at the World by William Souder, but I actually preferred the older account from 1994 by Jay Parini as it had more detail on his lifelong health problems and seemed a more rounded biography. I have listed these on my Amazon Store Page. www.amazon.com...
Academic References
Hicks, K. (2012). Steinbeck today. The Steinbeck Review, 9(2), 102-111.
Lynch, A. (2013). Two Views of Stanford's Teaching Legends: Margery Bailey and Edith Mirrielees and Their Effect on John Steinbeck and Irma Hannibal. The Steinbeck Review, 10(1), 63-69.
Wood, M. E. (2016). Experience Beyond Bearing: Steinbeck in the War Psychiatry Archive. American Literature, 88(2), 331-360.
Copyright Disclaimer
The primary purpose of this video is educational. I have tried to use material in the public domain or with Creative Commons Non-attribution licences wherever possible. Where attribution is required, I have listed this below. I believe that any copyright material used falls under the remit of Fair Use, but if any content owners would like to dispute this, I will not hesitate to immediately remove that content. It is not my intention to infringe on content ownership in any way. If you happen to find your art or images in the video, please let me know and I will be glad to credit you.
Images
Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Wellcome Collection
San Jose State University Steinbeck Collection
Internet Archive
Music
Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet ROH Orchestra
Blue Mood Robert Munzinger CC0
Isaac Albeniz - Asturias - David Hernando Vitores CC4.0
Isaac Albeniz - Tango Op.165 Nº2 - David Hernando Vitores - Kayoko Morimoto (Wasei Duo) CC4.0
Black Terrier Blues CC0
Isaac Albeniz - Suite espanola op. 47 - leyenda. Public domain via Musopen.com
Gershwin Rialto Ripples Jeffrey Biegel CC0
City Walk John Pattucci CC0
On the Rocks Track Tribe CCO
Francisco Tarrega - Recuerdos de la Alhambra Carlo Alberto Boni CC3.0
Calm Cam Track Tribe CC0
Blue Mood Robert Munzinger CC0
Gridlock John Pattucci CC0
Jane Street Track Tribe CC0
Tacklebox Blues CC0
Claude-Paul Taffanel: Wind Quintet in G minor - Andante. The Soni Ventorum Wind Quintet. CC2.0
Claude-Paul Taffanel: Andante Pastoral et Scherzettino. Alex Murray (flute) and Martha Goldstein (piano) CC2.0
Gustav Holst - The Planets, op. 32 - Mars, the bringer of war. Skidmore College Orchestra. Musopen. CC0
Gabriel Faure Flute Fantasie. Alex Murray (flute) and Martha Goldstein (piano)
PeriTune Café Musette CC3.0
John Bartmann - Mellow Cafe Vibe CC1.0
Reed Mathis Moonrise
Ceremonial Fanfare" performed by the Concert Band of the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. Public domain.
Mozart String Quartet No. 15 In C Major "Les Dissonances" K465. Quatuor Mosaïques CC0
Video edited by Manavi Sakunika and produced by Graeme Yorston and Tom Yorston.

[@bobnewmanknott3433]

I read Steinbeck as a young man and was deeply moved Your insightful reading of him has not lessened my appreciation of his talent but taught me to look below the surface Many thanks , it shows that even in my 80's I can still learn learn .

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad to hear - you're never too old!

[@freebird3348]

G’day Bob, I’m almost 60 and was an avid reader in my early years. I too, was deeply affected by the raw honesty of his writing. Especially the Grapes of Wrath…the book has a kind of brutal, confrontational power that may have actually traumatised that poor little delicate, teen me. And yep, we can actually quite easily learn a new thing every day nowadays with this interweb business. Isn’t it absolutely incredible technology? However in some ways I think it’s becoming bad for endlessly curious me, because it provides such instant gratification. The result is I’m reading far less books. Like many things in life I suppose it’s simply about balance.

[@sharonconstan8234]

Steinbeck’s writing was so meaningful to me as a young person. Easy to romanticize an artist. Appreciate this deep dive. ❤

[@glenbateman5960]

Everyone is flawed, including geniuses. "Anyone who claims to have no flaws has just revealed one." - A.D. Wallace

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Very true.

[@DavidEdwards-e6m]

Genious's are seriously flawed and rarely have more than one talent.

[@oppothumbs1]

@@DavidEdwards-e6m This is not true. If you are gifted in one area, you have a better than average chance of doing well in other ways than the average guy.

[@debishaw9355]

I was born and raised in Salinas. It’s interesting to know more about John Steinbeck besides his writing. I loved some of his books. He definitely made his mark on Salinas whether he was liked or not. Thank you for this !

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@genericrobin6597]

Such a vivid description! I wonder how Dr. Yorsten would concisely describe me (the good and the bad aspects) but I’ll have to write a few prize winning books first!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

When you win the Nobel Prize, I'll do a documentary!

[@genericrobin6597]

@@professorgraemeyorston. Fair enough! Thoroughly enjoying your content.

[@jameslowell9542]

I always think your documentaries are wonderful.

[@DigitalLazarus]

Fantastic. This was most edifying. The dichotomy of the artist and his demons. Thank you. Love your work.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you!

[@msantulova]

Thanks a lot! The whole series is exquisit but this one is full of revelations. I was disenchanted, too and this add so much depth. Much obliged to your presentation!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ellenpaasch4743]

While living in Salinas in 1971 -2 I was fortunate to read every Steinbeck book available in the Salinas Library.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Great place to get them from.

[@matthewseawell1667]

I’ve found your videos to be very insightful and have resolved to watch more of them.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Welcome aboard!

[@joedoe783]

This was great. Watched it over two nights.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks for persisting!

[@joedoe783]

@professorgraemeyorston It was great. Watched the Kerouac episode the next night. These are some of my favourite writers. My all time favourite though is James Joyce. Not sure if you've done one on him yet, but he'd be an interesting study. Especially given Jung's reported views on him.

[@biophilist]

Thank you for creating this elegant exposition. I have subscribed to your channel, and look forward to exploring your other work. Cheers! Mark

[@ronginther1986]

Photos are fascinating. His chaotic life certainly spanned a lot of momentous events. Quite incredible, his foray into the Mediterranean WW2 theatre with his exploits. A rival consciously with Hemingway's bucaneering lifestyle? OR he watched too many Errol Flynn movies? One other possibility, he was trying to escape going down memory lane and ending up in a cemetery where he had buried his conscience.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I don't think he was quite as much an adrenaline junkie as Hemingway - but he genuinely wanted to be involved.

[@BillCaster]

I’m loving this channel! Keep up the great work :) your research and presentations are appreciated:)

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you're enjoying them.

[@rayakhedker4003]

Professor Yorston! As someone who rarely comments on UTube-I am always amazed at how I often want to burst into song when I watch your videos-and further feel compelled to write to you! Lol …And this time to say that Steinbeck has deeply influenced my writing…so much so, that as someone who takes nothing “lightly,” while learning the craft of creative writing, I chose to hand copy THE PEARL thrice…hoping that some part of the novel’s brevity and beauty of prose would leech into my brain through my fingers! In any case, as ever, your in depth research and enlightening analysis never fail to uplift me-therefore, despite Steinbeck’s v, V flawed personality…which I can unfortunately relate to as a writer…I at least celebrate your window into who and how he really was. Perhaps this is so because the main character of my books so far is indeed a comparably flawed personality…which I take great pains to highlight rather than hide-and why? Because all human beings are essentially flawed, and when examined in-depth, no one comes up smelling of roses…so as a writer, I embraced the challenge to still make you “like and root for” my MC, regardless of her spectacular, international, and outrageous blunders…and the subsequent attempts to right her wrongs…which led to worse complications and resultant consequences! As such-I think this video only makes me embrace Steinbeck’s craft more, since his books/writing clearly show that in some corner of his brain he COULD think straight, espouse just causes, and portray them with with such gut-wrenching clarity-he left you breathless-only he couldn’t live up to those ideals…and isn’t that frequently the creative fool’s biggest stumbling block? And that is what I most want to bring out in my books…that unerring ability of creative people to do this “one thing” to absolute perfection, while all the rest goes to hell in a hand basket… Also, please do look into another one of my heroes (apart from Plum Wodehouse!), Carson McCullers? I assure you, Steinbeck, Hemingway, and Faulkner are practically perfumed compared to how horribly mangled she was-and yet, she, other than Steinbeck, taught me more about making sure that my readers could literally “see and smell” my prose as they read my stories…a debt I can only acknowledge in my praise of her, since I can never repay it. -So, thank you a thousand times over for this part of what you do! And tell your son I love him for making you start on this journey…

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you, I'll pass on your thanks to Tom. I think you've hit the nail on the head - if you haven't experienced difficult times as a writer, you'll never get any human complexity and richness into your characters - they would be too perfect and...boring.

[@monicacall7532]

@@rayakhedker4003 I second your recommendation of Carson McCullers. I’d also recommend Eudora Welty.

[@rayakhedker4003]

@@monicacall7532was Eudora Crazy too?! Haven’t really delved into her work or her life! Lol

[@DS-mh5hb]

Great information and narration, and "doxies" are the best pups ever . Ty for sharing

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Yes, Winnie is super cute when she's not chewing the post!

[@DS-mh5hb]

❤️

[@14aplaceinthewind]

This is not meant to be relative, which I always try to avoid, but when there are moments/actions that are "similar , " relativity is so hard to distance "opinions" from. This said, I will refrain from expanding on my experience, but briefly, I have seen this personally and in others around me. Those closest are treated or abused constantly, while those outside state how wonderfu/nice they are/were. This was an intriguing and deep insight to a "writer". Thanks

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Buster_Piles]

What a great channel to stumble across. 😊 I enjoyed very much your realistic looks at people that have interested me. Steinbecks greatness was in his description of the land, our bonds to it and the hope of redemption within each of us.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Welcome aboard!

[@marktweet7395]

Enjoyed this. Very interesting

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@DonCaskey]

Very enjoyable documentary on one of my favorite writers. Thank you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@arthuroldale-ki2ev]

In my 78 years Steinbeck has given me many hours of quality reading , I have read his works many times over, YES! A GENIUS ! As I never had to live with him, his private life holds no interest for me.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Fair enough!

[@alisongaber190]

Excellent point.

[@glendabarton1914]

Luckily his private life can be compartmentalized apart from his writing.

[@steveperreira5850]

We don’t improve human civilization by being indifferent to the harm and death caused by a horrible soul, In this case, John Steinbeck. He is a creep in every way, no exceptions

[@toniadugger3954]

Wow....I've now seen the entire series...thank you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

You're very welcome!

[@annfisher3316]

I appreciate the engaging and informative videos, sir. Thank you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

You're very welcome.

[@corposant]

Professor Yorston, thank you for making intensely fascinating content! How about a profile on Ambrose Bierce?

[@mcnultyfp]

Ambrose Bierce was the one who said that God invented war to teach geography to Americans

[@corposant]

@@mcnultyfp although I didn't know this detail, but it wouldn't surprise me. He possessed acerbic wittiness.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you I'll look into him.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Great quote!

[@kingrhs1]

Excellent informative and entertaining documentary of this great writer, I met my younger years. Definitely an inspiration to go back for a 2nd look Thanks you Professor Yorston

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@TTraveller3]

Steinbeck was a brilliant story teller. His writing was so powerful. Who cares what his personal life was!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Fair enough.

[@sharonpollock9543]

I strongly believe he was on the autistic spectrum, as am, and newly understanding, at age 67. Different didn’t have a category when I was growing up. Much like you I fell deeply in love with Steinbeck during his sweet California years when I was in my 20’s❤️. Thank you for these wonderful videos, I appreciate you 🙏

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Yes, there are certainly hints in his developmental history that he may have been on the spectrum.

[@winskypinsky]

The Winter of our Discontent was his best. Hands down. I found East of Eden too syrupy. Of Mice and Men reads as a grand poem-I read it frequently. I was astonished at the maverick writing technique of Grapes. Curious he was such a prick-he writes with such human depth.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

That's the puzzle with so many writers.

[@David-nx2vm]

We were assigned to read “Of Mice And Men” in high school, and I read many of his other books as a result. I have visited Monterey several times for work and family road trips. You can feel Steinbeck all over the area if you are familiar with his work.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I'd love to visit.

[@TomMcHugh-l4v]

"The Moon is Down" gets very little treatment in this and other videos. The book, in fact, was feared and banned by the Nazis. Resistance groups in Norway, France, and Holland reproduced copies by hand copying (printing presses were banned by the Nazis). Secretive sales of the book funded resistance efforts. The story is captivating; I recommend it , along with my other favorites: Grapes of Wrath, In Dubious Battle, Of Mice and Men.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Interesting - it's a shame so few people know about it.

[@lornahuddleston1453]

I've seen that movie a few times I must've forgotten Steinbeck wrote it. All that Quisling stuff. Good story

[@szilviabeylik4783]

Subscribed because your content and voice is perfect for falling asleep to.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad to be of service!

[@szilviabeylik4783]

@@professorgraemeyorston 😁 I do enjoy it the meantime. Just never get to the end. Or even to the middle. But the first 5 minutes of your videos are always great. 👍

[@ladytron1724]

Please do a biography on Humphrey Bogart 😍

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Great suggestion.

[@yurkdawg]

I'll always remember the epiphany I had in school reading "Grapes of Wrath." Alone at night actually reading something assigned from school, for the first time in my life, I understood metaphoric symbolism. Specifically it concerned a turtle and a highway...but that's not important. The point was it opened the full world of literature and art that has been a lifelong love. (From that point on not only did I always read what was assigned, but I also read on my own to this day.) In my mind I still thank Mr. Steinbeck for this; although from this video I suppose the attage that you should "never meet your heroes" applies...

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I'm sure he opened up the world of literature to lots of people.

[@fatimamelo3858]

Love Steinbeck books...he was so human and deep...

[@professorgraemeyorston]

He was indeed.

[@ThoneJones]

Great video. Steinbeck is my all time favorite. I’d like to see a video on Elmore Leonard, another of my favorites.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Great suggestion.

[@ryangerardcomedy425]

That was interesting. I always wondered about him. His books are easy to read. East of Eden was amazing. He sounds like a self-centered alcoholic.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

He drank heavily and this increased as he got older, but the drinking never took over completely as it did with Fitzgerald.

[@joannehart2433]

I still love his books - he left the best of himself there.

[@kambrose1549]

I thought he sounded like a narcissist in his attitude to his wife and sons. Sad to hear that such a sensitive writer was such an unpleasant man .

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I suspect it's hard to have the time and mental energy to perfect you art and bea decent human being.

[@backyardadvocate9377]

“The Great Adventures of John Steinbeck” (book) one of the best bios of JS I’ve read .

[@professorgraemeyorston]

The true adventures, yes it is a very good biography.

[@doughanna3924]

I loved the man in my 20's, still love those books, the man not so much.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

We can always love the books.

[@mangalapalliv]

So happy that I have stumbled onto this channel. Very well made episode. I wept bitterly after reading "The Grapes of Wrath." I have a question for your professor: I come from a region in India where tens of thousands farmers committed suicide over 10 years... yet none of our writers could write a book of the depth that Steinbeck produced for the world. What does it say about India as a civilization?

[@freebird3348]

I’m in Melbourne Australia and I apologise for not being the professor, but am horrified by what you said! Do you think that it may be for political reasons?

[@Montaigne1533]

⁠@@freebird3348 a question made in good faith need not horrifiy…

[@freebird3348]

I think that there may be a misunderstanding. I was simply expressing my horror at the terrible plight of those farming families in India. And I was genuinely asking you whether you may think that political decisions made about the agriculture sector by Indian governments over the last few decades may be the biggest factor behind this tragedy. Perhaps you, or someone you know could become the Indian Steinbeck, (I'm serious) after all you are not lacking in rich source material. All the best mate. Where abouts in India are you?

[@Uvray]

In my observation most writers are complicated. And I do think highly inclined towards neurosis. I would say, they're all a little mad, driven to it by what writing takes out of you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I suspect you may be right.

[@scottbubb2946]

I have never actually looked into it, but it seems like many writers were victims of serious childhood illnesses. Just an observation.

[@Uvray]

@@scottbubb2946 Now that you mention it, that does appear to be a frequent factor, yes.Writers of popular genre fiction don't seem to fall into the category - it appears to be writers of serious literary and philospohical works, those who've experience suffering, or have mental struggles. Also, parental problems and disfunctional homes.

[@75mamadden]

Thanks!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks for this - it really helps.

[@KellieFromKansas]

Narcissistic personality disorder?

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Yes, I suspect he would meet the criteria, although it is difficult to be certain as some of the things said by Gwyn have been disputed by others.

[@bretfisher7286]

I would venture that, oftentimes, the famous "artistic temperament" is barely different than the disorder you mention. So common is it to find eccentricity and astounding selfishness in our literary idols.. .

[@renoraider9817]

I'm just finishing up Jackson Benson's highly excellent biography of this amazing person. It's 1000+ pages but I've read it 3 times and still love the biography.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I haven't had a chance to read that one yet.

[@davidbowman4259]

My favorite American author. "Of Mice and Men" is my favorite book. Genius? Yes. As somebody once wrote (paraphrasing), "The traits that fluster the critics are the ones that endear him to mankind." Nobody like him.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

It wasn't so much the critics who disliked his work - it was the rich farmers who were exploiting the okies.

[@daveburrows9876]

"the hippie peace protesters gave him a shiver of shame with their dirty clothes, dirty minds and shuffling drag-ass protests" Now there's a line.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I think we know how he feels about the peace movement!

[@lornahuddleston1453]

​​@@professorgraemeyorston😂 Truer words were never spoken! Funny, I forgot he took a nasty attitude against us beatnik peace marchers. His sons are older than me. We were in the thick of it in California. Though his son's may have been drafted (we did still have a draft until @1971?), it sounds like they joined the great unwashed Anti Viet Nam war movement. But of course ! You mentioned John Jr. got busted with a lot of weed.,🤭I'll bet Steinbeck was of more than one mind about it. After all, he had received plenty of heat from the McCarthy Era witch hunters, and I'm sure he was no friend of Ronald Reagan et al, who stood for all that rigid black listing nonsense of artists. Reagan became a nasty guy after he married Nancy Davis.

[@lornahuddleston1453]

​@@professorgraemeyorstonI think we can all guess he thought that about his son's too. 😬

[@PamelaTitterington]

This was very interesting and informative ,thankyou 🎉

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enojoyed it.

[@generalcomments1239]

The newspaper gave Steinbeck the research done by Sanora Babb. Grapes of Wrath is HER work. Like many other male authors, Steinbeck stole the work of a female writer and never acknowledged her.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

This is an interesting story I hadn't been aware of - I'll kook into it more.

[@leolacasse6278]

Outstanding work, Professor! My comment is that if Steinbeck was no Einstein, he was something better. As for the Okies, if they lost their faith, they gained God. I knew some of them in Stockton and was awed by their spirit. I can never forget them.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you - yes adversity sometimes brings out the best in people.

[@gavriloprincip11]

All this is moot since thanks to Woke-ists he has been "cancelled" and his books once mandatory reading in high school curriculums have been banned and pulled off the shelves of libraries across the US

[@professorgraemeyorston]

The idea of banning books seems so archaic, but it is a real problem.

[@kidmohair8151]

hi mr princip. what's a woke-ist?

[@Im_No_Expert_72]

Probably you kid. Probably you

[@mandynewman8234]

My middle daughter (22 yo) studied Of Mice and Men in high school in the UK

[@gavriloprincip11]

@@kidmohair8151 a puritanical postmodernist American style identity -Moaist

[@rachelnelsonpeterson8100]

Phenomenal. Thank you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

You're very welcome!

[@jimfranchetto3278]

Very good work. Thank you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Our pleasure!

[@Smidgen-x4i]

Thanks. I found this very interesting. I enjoyed Steinbeck's Cannery Row but knew little about him.

[@gailgaddy5340]

Very enjoyable. I agree learning about the true nature of your heroes can be disappointing. I really enjoy his work and feel his empathy but on a personal level, very selfish indeed. Thanks for the video.😊

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you.

[@marilynmckenzie2111]

Thank you for this very interesting and informative video.👏🏻👏🏻 I plan ,at 75, to begin to read these famous books that I have heard about through my life. 👩🏻‍🦰🇨🇦

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Fantastic, it's never too late to start.

[@marilynmckenzie2111]

@@professorgraemeyorston 👍🏻🥰

[@rallfrey1]

This is a great series. I would like to recommend WB Yeats for a future episode. Cheers.

[@brettbambouturton3117]

I was terribly hyper active as a boy in a school uniform in the 1980s conservative Britain.. I remember reading Steinbeck’s The Red Pony.. His descriptive writings and existential themes stopped me in my tracks.. I found his works simplistically uncanny and hypnotizing.. I became an avid reader.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

There's nothing like finding a writer you can relate to.

[@lkgreenwell]

The “Narrative Log of the Sea of Cortez Expedition” is one of the most impressive books I have ever read. When we started to see video of the Humboldt Squid I was fully prepared for The Devil Fish!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

He was a great writer.

[@Zoomerland]

I grew up in Northern California, my first Steinbeck novel was Cannery Row.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Great place to start.

[@Fitness4London]

Fascinating video, great insights. I loved The Grapes of Wrath, and saw the brilliant theatre adaptation at the National Theatre on the South Bank in London earlier this year. East of Eden is on my book pile right now.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you - unfortunately I couldn't get tickets for the NT production.

[@arnthvinden2301]

Excellent docu - thank you. I will now continue with your analysis of Mark Twain. Best Arnt Hvinden/Oslo

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@kathleenroberts6931]

Love the sound of turning a page 📄 😎

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you, some people have said how much they dislike it! But I think it conveys a certain bookishness!

[@mariaisabelsierramora1108]

Thank you from México

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks for watching.

[@clay1528]

Thanks. I have hard time reconciling the fact that Steinbeck’s “The Moon is Down”, portraying that military occupations are ultimately futile, conflicts with his whole heart support for what amounted to the U.S. military occupation of South Vietnam Nam. Your thoughts?

[@CecilPalmiter]

Thank you.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

My pleasure.

[@bethgates9555]

Travels With Charley is my favorite Steinbeck book

[@professorgraemeyorston]

It's a good one.

[@shuddupeyaface]

Canary Row. Unbelievable work of genius.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

He knew how to write!

[@elizabethannegrey6285]

Excellent.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Many thanks!

[@hl5910]

Excellent channel 👍👍👍

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you.

[@edgregory1]

I had that 1968 flu at age 9. My dad put a bucket next to my bed and wished me luck . "The Pearl" was my favorite of his.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

It was a bad one- dubbed Hong Kong flu - but the death toll was nothing like as much as the 1918 pandemic.

[@ruralangwin]

No I hated that book.

[@katrinalay4189]

I agree with you...beware of meeting your heroes! I love Steinbeck's writing and expected to hear that he was a humble ,loving, gentle human being. I still love his books and will continue to read them as that seems to be where his goodness lies. I foolishly watched the film about Leonard Cohen and his relationship with Marianne Ihlen. It did not show him in a good light. But again..I love his work. I think that artists have to give their life over to their work and often they are self absorbed and too wrapped up in their own life experience and feeding their art that others around often seem to suffer. I will look with interest at your other documentaries.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thanks for watching.

[@artistkithunt]

The Red Pony was my first Steinbeck book. I cried.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Great book.

[@AB-kg6rk]

Thanks Dr. Steinbecks my favorite writer.

[@martitinkovich4489]

Was not aware of him being a doctor.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

One of mine too.

[@E-s.thoughts]

I don't really have heroes that I worship. But, as you say in this video too, that doesn't mean I can't praise highly the creations of people in literature, visual art, music, etc.! John Steinbeck is someone who definitely falls into that category and I consider him one of the greats of American literature. Even if I were to read a biography of him that portrayed him in the worst possible way (I'm always careful about reading biographies because I've read some really bad ones), it wouldn't change my opinion of his work.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Very sensible - but I find knowing a little more about a person's life helps me appreciate their work more.

[@E-s.thoughts]

@@professorgraemeyorston Apart from autobiographies - which can also be full of lies - I am always very wary of biographies written about others, by others! The “hearsay” element is often very present and the text is usually written according to the biographer's own interpretation. A biography written by a drunk about, say, Charles Bukowski reads very differently from one written by an avid teetotaler! Similarly, a biography written by a woman about, say, Ernest Hemingway has a different meaning than when written by a man and vice versa; when a man writes about the life of, say, Virginia Woolf or Mary Shelley. Incidentally, it strikes me that many biographies are mostly about sensationalism, especially when it comes to well-known figures. However, you do have a point. Sometimes that background information can be useful when reading the work in question, but it should not dominate. Günter Grass's work did not suddenly become bad when he openly mentioned that at the age of 17 he served in the Waffen-SS during the final stages of the war. Something onlookers were all too happy to jump on to vilify the man and deprive him of his absolutely deserved Nobel Prize (fortunately he did not end up in the pillory)! What he was driven to do as a seventeen-year-old German in a country full of propaganda and manipulation can hardly be described as a youthful sin, but rather as an overly impulsive decision of a teenager in a devastated world! For me, Günter Grass remains one of the greatest German writers.

i played in Salinas river, had Salinas California paper route, best years till we went to east coast. felt the atmosphere of east of Eden

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Fantastic.

[@jamescrydeman540]

For all the flaws, they are pretty good stories, well told.

[@noyoutakethatback]

Nice man.

[@ddawe31635]

East of Eden is my favorite. He is not my favorite person.... this is my favorite book!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

The books are better than the man.

[@89volvowithlazers]

The interesting connection for me is that I was chasing Steinbeck inthat i was sec gen discoverer of his work. The praise and crit on Steinbeck was insane. Especially when he was credited for tv writing as tv was not considered 'real writing' in the 50's and 60s. Steinbeck and that other guy were juiced again late 60's also. Being relative is cool sometimez😊

[@ThomasConrad-f3p]

Very well 'researched' and, as usual, an excellent documentary! Ezra Pound is another American writer, but a poet not a novelist. Most of these creative artists have a "genetic package" of past inherited psychosis---one encounters it again and again in the lives of arttists (Scott-Fitzgerald was another). It is best to be objective, and not subjective---all the tensions and stress of modern the 20th century make them what they are!!

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you, yes EP is a fascinating character - I did a talk on him 30 years ago - I'll see if I can find my notes!

[@StevenJBosch]

Someone suggested that an artist puts his/her best forward in their work and the rest is shared among spouses, children and friends

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Interesting idea.

[@markscott554]

I remember reading The Red Pony in English class under my teacher, Mrs Lamb, about 35 years ago at Queen Anne High School, Dunfermline, Scotland

[@edwardpresutti2941]

Where there is greatness their is great weakness...

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Very true.

[@klj1957tx2]

It was best not knowing him. But still he's a literary genius in my opinion

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I agree.

[@grokeffer6226]

I came for the information on one of my favorite authors (I didn't know much about his personal life.), but I stayed for the cute doggie. 🙂😔

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I'll tell Winnie she's got a fan.

[@gretchenzwicker338]

Oh God, I am a horse person and have ridden and owned horses since I was 5 years old. I am 65 this summer and I still can’t see anything that has to do with The Red Pony it killed me when I was young I think I cried for a week😢❤

[@charlessomerset9754]

The most lyrical and beautiful writing of his generation. He was not some expat searching for meaning. He knew himself, and had an uncanny ability to know others. It is supremely tragic that some believed his nobel was undeserved. The man once breifly described an American breakfast in a diner, and it read like a passage out of genesis. If you havent read him, and you long for a description of America when it was still America, then start with The Grapes of Wrath, and go from there. If you want something a little lighter, then try Cannery Row and its sequel Sweet Thursday. They are laugh out loud funny. The last page of almost every Steinbeck novel is like saying goodbye to a much loved friend. And shouldnt all novels do that?

[@professorgraemeyorston]

They should, but few do!

[@pageribe9412]

I absolutely adored Travels with Charlie, my first Steinbeck book. I've since read all the rest. Love his work. He was an a- hole. So? Most people are.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Fair point!

[@lornahuddleston1453]

Exactly.

[@leonramsay21]

Steinbeck and Hemingway. Great writers.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

They were indeed.

[@Calligraphybooster]

Thank you for this. ‘TWIMC’ I would like to point to a book, ‘Travels with John Steinbeck’ by Dutch writer an historian Geert Mak. (publ. DEADALUS, 560 pages). Mak attempts to copy Steinbeck’s journey 50 years on, which proves difficult, practically speaking, and delivers a sort of sequel, describing what Amica is like half a century later, in a social, economic, cultural and most prominently, political sense.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you, I'll look it out.

[@Reina.Nijinsky]

Subbed 👍🏼

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Welcome aboard.

[@Bizarreparade]

On paper the thought of a modern British shrink psychoanalyzing the great American writers of yesteryear seems horrible to me. But you sir make it work and make it work well! Fantastic channel and Ive recommended it to my last few literate friends😂

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Thank you - I have also discussed a new people from the old world.

[@Bizarreparade]

@@professorgraemeyorston I know. I binged out on 4 of your videos today while working in the garage. Great stuff. Cheers!

[@dolinaj1]

The art and the artist are never one and the same, as exemplified by Steinbeck, Mailer, Picasso, Dickens, Polanski, Weinstein, et al. Add alcoholism or other addiction(s), and the list grows exponentially longer.

[@lornahuddleston1453]

Right. Knowing what a tool Paul Gauguin was doesn't take away from his incredible paintings.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Very true.

[@truecynic1270]

All very true BUT Steinbeck was a VERY good writer. His words engaged you from the very beginning. It was close to magical. I recall reading the Grapes of Wrath about 50 years ago. I was consumed by the narrative and became so intertwined with the characters so much so that I could feel the hurricane of sand, their breaths, their desolation, their horrible disappointment in the reality that the standards were the same as those that they had left behind. I was IN the book with the characters. And the ending: those are the most powerfully written words I have ever read in all the books I've read. Of course, I loved Travels With Charley, Cannery Row, Sweet Thursday, etc. ALL his written words. Like Conrad but not at all romantic, Steinbeck was blunt and realistic while weaving an extraordinary story which was so interesting and yet about common, ordinary people without projecting these people as common, ordinary and uninteresting. These desperate people had the same hopes and dreams that ALL people hope for, but Steinbeck included the important truth about all struggles that people endure without asking for. There are many books I've enjoyed immensely, many authors with tremendous talent and writing ability with the insights of belonging to a long lineage. Steinbeck, on the other hand, writing in his distinctive American style of no nonsense, honest and vulnerable, made me fall in love with the writer and the written. I only wish there was more.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Beautifully said.

[@truecynic1270]

@@professorgraemeyorston Thank you very much. Re-reading my post, however, I noticed some writing errors ( isn't that always how it is a day later??!!?) so made some edits....

[@chachyesmeralda18]

I'm sorry your hero was not who you imagined him to be. I hate it when my idols lose their halos or fall off the pedestals I made for them😉 However, as usual, this presentation isn't biased or shaded. That's one of the best things about your videos. I watched the PBS bio on Hemingway and I was surprised how similar their personalities seem. Both were exceptional writers and extremely empathetic towards the Have-Nots & downtrodden; both aggravated our society's Haves to the point of vilification. Imo, getting on J. Edgar's bad side is a good thing. The depression, drinking, and dysfunctional family life is an obvious similarity but wasn't it interesting how the impact of war, a first lost love, and the brain damage afflicted both so strongly? (Granted Hemingway had more documented concussions & brain traumas, but I wonder what really happened to stoic Steinbeck, who was likely to dismiss an accident or stumble as "no big deal"? How much & how frequently can a person drink before it damages your life?)

[@junebrilly5302]

Regardless of his "feet of clay", every American should read- once every decade- "The Grapes of Wrath". It is a profound call for justice and humanity

[@professorgraemeyorston]

I think he has a lot to say about human beings from all nations.

[@Aptster1939]

Be very interested in this time break would write about the present day debacle.

[@professorgraemeyorston]

Yes, it would interesting to see how the young Steinbeck would cover the modern world.

[@rnrpeg1]

Very interesting. Thanks! You didn't cover it, but Steinbeck spent a lot of time writing in Sag Harbor, where my Great Aunt Sally had a close friendship with him. I don't know the exact time period. I only remember Aunt Sally as a strong, beautiful and very intelligent woman - and I just can't imagine her spending so much time with an out and out a-hole. lol Just sayin'.... 😁🤙⭐

[@professorgraemeyorston]

It was in his final years - I think he had calmed down a lot by then.

[@rnrpeg1]

@@professorgraemeyorston 😁🤙🩵

[@rnrpeg1]

@@professorgraemeyorston 🤘⭐🤙

[@lornahuddleston1453]

One man's a$$hole is another man's prince

[@pauldrake1858]

I read nearly all his books but the most moving was The Grapes of Wrath.