Thomas Steinbeck writing, and the communication arts. He served as a board member of both the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California and "The Center for Steinbeck Studies" at San Jose State University. And once every year, he would personally present the John Steinbeck Award through his foundation, "The John Steinbeck Family Foundation" in affiliation with "The Center for Steinbeck Studies". During his lifetime, Steinbeck was an advocate for authors' rights. In 2009, he and his friend, folk-singer Arlo Guthrie (another son of a famous father), brought a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google which was eventually settled. At the time of his
John Steinbeck on rare occasions, stole bacon from the local produce market. Whatever food they had, they shared with their friends. Carol became the model for Mary Talbot in Steinbeck's novel "Cannery Row". In 1930, Steinbeck met the marine biologist Ed Ricketts, who became a close friend and mentor to Steinbeck during the following decade, teaching him a great deal about philosophy and biology. Ricketts, usually very quiet, yet likable, with an inner self-sufficiency and an encyclopedic knowledge of diverse subjects, became a focus of Steinbeck's attention. Ricketts had taken a college class from Warder Clyde Allee, a biologist and ecological theorist,