Spend any time in Monterey CA and you will be surrounded by the sights and sounds of the ocean, but also the amazing local history and the honoring of notable historic people. John Steinbeck's literary works convey a sense of time and place, as well as characterizations that reflect the reality of the Monterey Peninsula in the 1930s-1940s. There's nothing like the experience of reading the short novel Cannery Row while you're sitting just below the workers' houses on Cannery Row right across from Ed Rickett's Pacific Biological Laboratories (in close proximity to the Monterey Bay Aquarium). Ed Ricketts was a fascinating man, a close friend of John Steinbeck's, and very much responsible for the collection of University specimens in the field of Marine Biology.
Most people first encounter John Steinbeck's writings with required readings of The Pearl or Of Mice and Men. While those definitely hold literary merit, I can't help but love the characters of Cannery Row, especially since most of them were based on real life people who lived and worked in Monterey at the time. And if you have any interest in the field of early Marine Biology, Between Pacific Tides and The Log from The Sea of Cortez, are collaborative works. Note: Ed Ricketts also had a profound influence upon the writer Henry Miller and the mythologist Joseph Campbell. Personally, I would have loved to have attended one of Ed Ricketts' parties. Although his living quarters were small, he hosted many notable people at his parties, which were full of music and drinking, but also deep dives into poetry, philosophy, the local marine life, environmentalism, and ecological preservation.
We have an amazing resource available at the Dr Martin Luther King Library in downtown San Jose. The San Jose State University campus library shares a building with the main library site, and because of that, The Center for Steinbeck Studies is housed on the 5th floor. It is truly a treasure of information including personal letters and journals. Because it is a historic collection nothing can be removed from the site, but it is definitely worth a visit!
Monterey itself hosts tours through The Steinbeck Experience, which can take you through the local areas where Steinbeck and his friends lived and worked. It is truly an inspiring way to remember his life and his literature.
The Log From the Sea of Cortez
Ed Ricketts:
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