[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                SALUTE TO THE NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 2, 1996

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bestow 
congressional recognition on the National Steinbeck Center, a national 
cultural institution located in Salinas, CA, in the heart of my 
congressional district. The city of Salinas is John Steinbeck's 
hometown and the Salinas Valley is the setting for some of Steinbeck's 
most powerful writings. It is only fitting, then, that a national 
center be located in Salinas, dedicated to the preservation of the art 
of John Steinbeck and to the celebration of his works and ideas through 
a variety of historical exhibits and cultural programs.
  John Steinbeck was one of our Nation's greatest authors, a native son 
of California, Pulitzer Prizewinner, and Nobel Laureate. ``Grapes of 
Wrath,'' which become an American classic, earned him the Pulitzer 
Prize Fiction Award in 1940. In describing the journey of an Oklahoma 
family's migration to California during the Depression in the hopes of 
realizing a better life, Steinbeck achieved worldwide recognition for 
his keen observations and powerful writings of the human condition. 
With ``Cannery Row,'' published in 1945, Steinbeck wrote a lively story 
about life in the thirties in Monterey, a sleepy California fishing 
village, when life seemed to him to have more meaning, although the 
conditions were quite different. Steinbeck's fiction represents the 
character of our people, in particular their vitality and uniquely 
American qualities. As a resident of California's central coast, John 
Steinbeck's novels are rich in the portrayal of our region's abundant 
agricultural heritage, and the locales of his stories are reflective of 
life and the people of the Salinas Valley. In 1962 he received the 
Nobel Prize for Literature ``for his realistic as well as imaginative 
writings, distinguished by a sympathetic humor and keep social 
perception'' for his work.
  I join the State of California in proclaiming the National Steinbeck 
Center. The national center will be a world-class museum and cultural 
center dedicated to Steinbeck teachings and lore. It encompasses one of 
the largest existing collections of Steinbeck artifacts, papers, and 
photographs in the world, and commemorates the Salinas Valley's 
multibillion-dollar agricultural industry, an industry which has earned 
the valley the designation as the Salad Bowl of our country. The 
National Steinbeck Center hosts an annual Steinbeck Festival at the 
beginning of August, where visitors can immerse themselves in films, 
tours, panel discussions, and special events depicting Steinbeck's 
writings. The National Steinbeck Center is not only a tribute to 
Steinbeck's life and literary genius, but also a unique repository for 
American culture from the first half of this century.
  John Steinbeck's literary accomplishments make him an icon of our 
cultural heritage. In bringing the plight of the poor and disadvantaged 
to the forefront of our social consciousness, Steinbeck's writings are 
as contemporary to modern day societal problems as they were in 
previous decades. In his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in 1962, 
John Steinbeck left each one of us with words to live by ``* * * 
celebrate man's proven capacity for greatness of heart and spirit--for 
gallantry in defeat, for courage, compassion and love. In the endless 
war against weakness and despair, these are the bright rally flags of 
hope and of emulation.''
  I ask the Speaker and all my colleagues to join me in saluting the 
National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA.

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