This collection includes all public interviews John Steinbeck gave throughout his career, from the earliest in 1935, to his last in 1972. Steinbeck's life, in retrospect, can been seen in three phases: his California years; the war years of the 1940s and the years after the Second World War. In this collection we can see Steinbeck working through projects; enduring fame and criticism. His life became difficult and more controversial with the publication of: In Dubious Battle (1936); Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939). After The Grapes of Wrath was published, he was never truly welcome in his home state of California again.

This collection is invaluable for any Steinbeck student or scholar. it is a reprint of the original 1988 edition, which has been out-of-print.

Thomas Fensch is the author or editor of five books about Steinbeck: His 1979 book Steinbeck and Covici; The Story of a Friendship, the relationship between Steinbeck and his editor-publisher Pascal Covici, was very favorably reviewed in The New York Times and widely reviewed elsewhere. It has been in print now for over 40 years and long been considered a seminar work in Steinbeck scholarship.