Thomas Myles Steinbeck is a writer and the eldest son of Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck. Steinbeck, who has written numerous screenplays, published his first book of short stories, Down to a Soundless Sea, in 2002. His first novel, In the Shadow of the Cypress, was published in 2010.
Contents |
Thomas ("Thom") Steinbeck was born on August 2, 1944 in Manhattan, New York, to John and Gwyndolyn Steinbeck. His younger brother was John Steinbeck IV. He had a good relationship with his famous father, stating that he would rate him, "an eight-and-a-half or a nine" on a ten-point scale.[1]
Steinbeck went to Vietnam in the 1960s, serving as a helicopter door gunner. After his service there, he returned in the late 1960s as a combat photographer.[1]
Along with his writing and producing obligations, Steinbeck lectures on American literature, creative writing, and the communication arts. He serves as a board member of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California and the Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. Once a year he presents the John Steinbeck Award through his foundation, The John Steinbeck Family Foundation in affiliation with The Center for Steinbeck Studies.[2]
Steinbeck has been an active proponent of authors' rights. In 2009, he worked closely with his friend, Arlo Guthrie, in a successful initiative to implement an extension to the settlement negotiations between Google and the Author's Guild.
Steinbeck contributed to the My California Project, a collection of short stories written by 27 California authors, in an attempt to save the floundering California Arts Council.
Steinbeck lives with his wife in Santa Barbara, California.