John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. wrote the Pulitzer-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath 
(1939) and East of Eden (1952) and Of mice and Men  (1937). He wrote a total 
of twenty-seven books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and five 
collections of short stories. In 1962, John Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize
for Literature. His later work reflected his wide range of interests, including
marine biology, politics, religion, history, and mythology. Steinbeck was 66
when he died in December of 1968.

1984 John Steinbeck gold commemorative coin