John Steinbeck become the enemies of the political status quo." In a 1942 letter to United States Attorney General Francis Biddle, John Steinbeck wrote: "Do you suppose you could ask Edgar's boys to stop stepping on my heels? They think I am an enemy alien. It is getting tiresome." The FBI denied that Steinbeck was under investigation. In 1936, Steinbeck published the first of what came to be known as his Dustbowl trilogy, which included "Of Mice and Men" and "The Grapes of Wrath". This first novel tells the story of a fruit pickers' strike in California which is both aided and
Thomas Steinbeck Simon & Schuster published his first novel, "In the Shadow of the Cypress". His second novel, "The Silver Lotus", was released in November 2011 by Counterpoint Press. Steinbeck contributed to the "My California Project", a collection of short stories written by 27 California authors. Sales from the book were used to help save the struggling California Arts Council. This book went into three printings, and the project helped the Arts Council to reach its goal of financial solvency. In addition to his writing and producing, Steinbeck was an active public speaker and teacher, who often lectured on American literature, creative