His later body of work reflected his wide range of interests, including marine biology, politics, religion, history, and mythology. Steinbeck often populated his stories with struggling characters his works examined the lives of the working class and migrant workers during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Later, he used real historical conditions and events in the first half of 20th century America, which he had experienced first-hand as a reporter. In his subsequent novels, Steinbeck found a more authentic voice by drawing upon direct memories of his life in California. An exception was his first novel Cup of Gold which concerns the pirate Henry Morgan, whose adventures had captured Steinbeck's imagination as a child. Most of his earlier work dealt with subjects familiar to him from his formative years. Steinbeck moved briefly to New York City, but soon returned home to California to begin his career as a writer. This upbringing imparted a regionalistic flavor to his writing, giving many of his works a distinct sense of place. Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley region of California, a culturally diverse place of rich migratory and immigrant history. In 1962, Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

In all, he wrote twenty-five books, including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories.

He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939, and the novella, Of Mice and Men, published in 1937.

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