[Discusses Jedworth [ Jedwick ], publishers, publishing slowly, a planned trip to Mexico and lack of gift for money-making.]

[Discusses dislike for Hollywood, preparation for a trip to Mexico , prerequisites for fame; briefly discusses Jedwick , [Pascal] Covici 's reissuing two early books [ The Pastures of Heaven and To a God Unknown ] and availability of a copy of [ Tortilla Flat ]; mentions Carmel , Woodstock , Left Bank , Laguane Beach and [ San Francisco ].]

[Discusses Paramount [Pictures] purchase of a book [ Tortilla Flat ], his next book [ In Dubious Battle ], their stay in Mexico , his dislike of New York City , Ben Abramson , Frances [? Toor] , American tourists in Mexico and Mexican Indians; mentions Pacific Grove, California . ]

[Discusses dislike of Communists and difficulty publishing short stories; briefly discusses dislike of [David Herbert] Lawrence, not caring what the press will do, Esquire , [Arnold] Gingrich , McIntosh and Otis [Literary Agency] , [Arthur Burton] Rascoe , ignorance of the theater, The North American Review and fear of getting down to work; mentions New Testament , New York City and Journey's End . ]

[Discusses a bad review [of In Dubious Battle ] by Mary Ann McCarthy [ Mary Theresa McCarthy ] in The Nation ; briefly discusses Paul's rejected book, [Arnold] Gingrich 's request for stories for Esquire , his new book [ Of Mice and Men ], a possible visit by Paul, Herman Shumlin 's production of the play In Dubious Battle and his problems getting published; mentions Caesar's Commentaries , Plato , Tortilla Flat , Joseph Henry Jackson , [ San Francisco] Chronicle , Covici [Friede] , Ben Abramson , his agents [ McIntosh and Otis Literary Agency ] and Hollywood . ]

[Discusses his current work [ Of Mice and Men ], [William] Heineman 's publishing [ In Dubious Battle ], death of his British agent, Paul's coming west and weather; mentions [William] Saroyan . ]

[Discusses a new house in Los Gatos , Paul's novel, difficulty with his new manuscript [ Of Mice and Men ] and the Republican Convention.]

[Discusses rain water as a symbol of security; briefly discusses his wife's [ Carol Henning Steinbeck ] building a new house [in Los Gatos ], Paul's visit, [ John Ernst Steinbeck ] and "the new thing" [ Of Mice and Men ]; mentions [ Pacific Grove ].]

[Discusses an article for The Nation , a series [" The Harvest Gypsies "] for the [ San Francisco] News , his new book [ Of Mice and Men ], Paul's A Horse in Arizona , discovering a book "down the country" [ The Grapes of Wrath ] and a story he wrote for Esquire . ]

[Discusses Los Gatos , a very long book [ The Grapes of Wrath ], [Paul's A Horse in Arizona ], his new book [ Of Mice and Men ] and a planned trip east; mentions his wife [ Carol Henning Steinbeck ].]

[Discusses happiness in his work on the book [ The Grapes of Wrath ], a possible trip to New York , possible sources of a copy of "the little book" [? Saint Katy the Virgin ], repair of a rain-damaged pool, a bad cold, drinking too much and the need to conserve money; mentions his sisters [ Elizabeth Steinbeck Ainsworth , Esther Steinbeck Rodgers , Mary Steinbeck Dekker ], [Arthur Burton] Rascoe , Harry Hansen and [Pascal] Covici . ]

[Discusses unhappiness with his work [ The Grapes of Wrath ], a possible trip, his last book [ Of Mice and Men ], the weather in California , the sausage works [ Multch Sausage Manufacturing Co. ] and the death of [Arthur Burton] Rascoe 's son [ Albert Burton Rascoe ]; mentions Esquire . ]

[Discusses a review in [ New York Herald Tribune ], a trip to New York City and the sausage works [ Multch Sausage Manufacturing Co. ].]

[Discusses a visit to New York City ; mentions Bedford Hotel . ]

[Discusses being in the Atlantic Ocean near Greenland , plans upon landing in Albany , expecting Paul on the West Coast and a visit to New York City . ]

[Discusses a job [the script for the play Of Mice and Men ], a trip to Europe and a desire to see Paul.]

[Discusses a visit from Paul, his return from a trip, the house being a mess, Paul's hat, Carol Henning Steinbeck 's need for a break, a planned Thanksgiving with the Jackson family [ Joseph Henry Jackson and Charlotte E. Cobden Jackson ] and being too busy too spend an afternoon with Paul and [ Joseph Henry Jackson ]; mentions Monterey and Mary [P. Engargiola Paul ].]

[Discusses a house warming party, Paul's hat, getting a phone and Paul's former job; mentions [Joseph Henry] Jackson , Charlotte [E. Cobden] Jackson , Ritchie Lovejoy and his wife [ Natalya Lovejoy ], the Bengston family , Long Island , Burlingame , Multch Sausage Manufacturing Co. and Elsa Maxwell . ]

[Discusses a story by Paul [" A Lucky Day for Private Smoot "] in the January issue of Esquire ; mentions Mary [P. Engargiola Paul] . ]

[Discusses a proposed trip with [ Joseph Henry Jackson ], a brief visit to the Jackson family and his rewriting [? The Grapes of Wrath ].]

[Discusses his and Carol Henning Steinbeck 's praise for a manuscript by Paul; mentions Hollywood , Blingham [ Burlingame ].]

[Discusses stopping by Paul's, a trip by Carol Henning Steinbeck and a manuscript by Ritch[ie Lovejoy ].]

[Discusses a razor, a lily and having a good time.]

[Discusses things interfering with his work [ The Grapes of Wrath ], Carol Henning Steinbeck 's sore throat, "the eastern matter," a visit from Brod[erick] Crawford and the ranch; mentions [Charles] Scribner's [Sons] . ]

[Discusses The Grapes of Wrath (title source, method of work and typing by Carol Henning Steinbeck ); mentions " Battle Hymn of the Republic . "]

[Discusses not wanting to hear criticism until he is finished [with The Grapes of Wrath ]; briefly discusses weariness.]

[Discusses a bad leg, his tonsillectomy and his unlisted phone number; mentions Mary [P. Engargiola Paul] ; includes pencilled poem in another hand.]

[Discusses his illness and not stopping by Paul's trip to Santa Cruz . ]

[Discusses a planned trip [to Mexico to film The Forgotten Village ], the ranch, Mary [P. Engargiola Paul 's ] illness, Paul's garden and a trip to the Gulf [of California] to collect animals.]

[Discusses sending both books to Carnahans ; briefly discusses working on the "marine book" [ Sea of Cortez ], returning from filming [ The Forgotten Village ] in Mexico , plans to work with [Lewis] Milestone [on the film The Red Pony ] and a dog for Paul; mentions Monterey . ]

[Discusses an invitation to Paul to visit, the return of Carol Henning Steinbeck and work on the book [ Sea Of Cortez ], mentions Joe [Higashi ].]

[Discusses [ Pascal Covici 's ] sale of the little Mexican book of pictures [ The Forgotten Village ]; briefly discusses a book Paul sent, a house in Pacific Grove , sale of the ranch, working hard on the gulf book [ Sea of Cortez ], himself as "half bum and half voluptuary and half workman" and his bad nerves; mentions Ed[ward Flanders Ricketts] , his agents [ McIntosh and Otis Literary Agency ], Mary [P. Engargiola Paul] and a film [ The Forgotten Village ].]

[Discusses "that silly thing" getting to [Herb] Caen , his knife, Paul's hospitality and a new pen.]

[Discusses "future leaks" especially to [Leonard] Lyons , his knife, work on the second draft [of Sea of Cortez ], a possible trip to Los Angeles , [ MacIntosh and Otis Literary Agency ] and [ Pascal Covici ] liking the book, and plans to work on [" God in the Pipes "]; mentions Mary [P. Engargiola Paul] and Gwyndolyn Conger . ]

[Discusses Paul's book and [World War II].]

[Discusses moving to an old house, a proposed visit from Paul, Gwyndolyn Conger Steinbeck 's pregnancy, another book [ The Wayward Bus ] and a trip to Mexico . ]

[Discusses the return of some letters to Steinbeck and Steinbeck's Nobel Prize in Literature; mentions New York Times Book Review . ]

[Discusses his reasons for returning to Paul the letters Paul had returned to him, his fear of prizes, [Nobel Prize in Literature], the Soviet Union rewriting its history, Paul's inking out hurtful references to living persons (except Mary McCarthy ) in the letters and Walt Whitman . ]

[" Sonya Noskowiak " written below lower right corner; photo appeared in the New York Herald Tribune , 1937 Feb 28.]

[Discusses the rift between John Steinbeck and Carol Henning Steinbeck , Steinbeck's relationship with [ Gwyndolyn Conger ] and other women, including [Natalya] Lovejoy , his reluctance to leave either Pacific Grove or the first house in Los Gatos , his health and poor diet, his sexual problems, Carol's discomfort with wealth and his becoming too "rich" non-monetarily; mentions Sea of Cortez , The Forgotten Village , Ritchie Lovejoy , The Grapes of Wrath and Louis [Paul] . ]