Familial Ties

Anchoring this remarkably rare collection is the bond between an older brother and his little sister. Of all his sisters, John was closest to Mary, likely because they were so close in age. It was Mary who rode the pony Jill (the original “red pony”) and played Knights of the Round Table with a young John Steinbeck. And it is Mary who makes a guest appearance in East of Eden, as the narrator reminisces about their gambols among the Salinas Valley while spinning his epic tale.

In a letter to his sisters Beth and Esther after the death of the youngest sibling Mary, Steinbeck writes: “No one ever understood us because we seemed so remote and cool toward each other, but my God, how we rallied when there was a need. No one ever understood that either. Because we were not lovey-dovey it always surprised people that we were so close. And we were strong. Damn it, we were strong”--strong like the Joads and the Trasks and the dozens of other families hardened by misfortune who populate his novels.

The Mary Steinbeck Dekker Family Collection features a concentration of original John Steinbeck material never before seen by collectors. At the core of the collection is the decades of correspondence to Mary, sometimes funny, sometimes angry and sad, but always vivid and mesmerizing missives detailing his life and work. Present also are the first editions gifted to Mary with warm inscriptions from her older brother, and several volumes presented to their parents that made their way to Mary or John after the deaths of the elder Steinbecks.

A tremendous selection of Steinbeck original material on its own, but Mary’s daughter Joan (also called Toni) had the great fortune to marry a bibliophile. At first, David Heyler was afraid to tell his famous uncle-in-law that he was a book collector, but once he did, Steinbeck heartily endorsed his bibliomania, boxing up loose printed and manuscript items for Dave. One of Steinbeck’s early gifts was of the galley proofs for Burning Bright; then when the stage production was panned, Steinbeck sent the manuscript and typed drafts, the jacket proof, and the rest of the galleys.

Lasting Legacy

A literary giant, John Steinbeck’s prolific oeuvre tackled the social and economic issues of the early 20th century. His experiences growing up in California’s Salinas Valley profoundly influenced his storytelling and some of his most celebrated works were set the region including East of Eden, Of Mice and Men, and his masterpiece and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath. His work was also informed by the economic and social upheaval of the Great Depression and in 1962, Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature – "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception."

Steinbeck's enduring legacy lies in his ability to capture the essence of American life during tumultuous times and his contributions to the literary cannon continue to be celebrated.