In the two years after the 1939 publication of Steinbeck’s masterful **The Grapes of Wrath**, Steinbeck and his novel increasingly became the center of intense controversy and censorship. In search of a respite from the national stage, Steinbeck and his close friend, biologist Ed Ricketts, embarked on a month long marine specimen-collecting expedition in the Gulf of California, which resulted in their collaboration on the **Sea of Cortez**. In 1951, after Ricketts’ death, Steinbeck reissued his narrative portion of the work in memory of his friend and the inspiration for **Cannery Row**’s “Doc”. This exciting day-by-day account of their journey together is a rare blend of science, philosophy, and high-spirited adventure. This edition features an introduction by Richard Astro.
### About the Author
**JOHN STEINBECK** (1902–1968) was born in Salinas, California. He worked as a laborer and a journalist, and in 1935, when he published *Tortilla Flat*, he achieved popular success and financial security. Steinbeck wrote more than twenty-five novels and won the Nobel Prize in 1962.
**Robert DeMott** is the Edwin and Ruth Kennedy Distinguished Professor at Ohio University and the author of *Steinbeck’s Typewriter*, an award-winning book of critical essays.
**Gary Scharnhorst** is professor of English at the University of New Mexico. He is the editor of books by Bret Harte and John De Forest for Penguin Classics.
Description:
In the two years after the 1939 publication of Steinbeck’s masterful **The Grapes of Wrath**, Steinbeck and his novel increasingly became the center of intense controversy and censorship. In search of a respite from the national stage, Steinbeck and his close friend, biologist Ed Ricketts, embarked on a month long marine specimen-collecting expedition in the Gulf of California, which resulted in their collaboration on the **Sea of Cortez**. In 1951, after Ricketts’ death, Steinbeck reissued his narrative portion of the work in memory of his friend and the inspiration for **Cannery Row**’s “Doc”. This exciting day-by-day account of their journey together is a rare blend of science, philosophy, and high-spirited adventure. This edition features an introduction by Richard Astro. ### About the Author **JOHN STEINBECK** (1902–1968) was born in Salinas, California. He worked as a laborer and a journalist, and in 1935, when he published *Tortilla Flat*, he achieved popular success and financial security. Steinbeck wrote more than twenty-five novels and won the Nobel Prize in 1962. **Robert DeMott** is the Edwin and Ruth Kennedy Distinguished Professor at Ohio University and the author of *Steinbeck’s Typewriter*, an award-winning book of critical essays. **Gary Scharnhorst** is professor of English at the University of New Mexico. He is the editor of books by Bret Harte and John De Forest for Penguin Classics.