America and Americans was first published in October 1966 by Viking Press and was reprinted in 2002 in celebration of Steinbeck’s centennial year but without the photographs that accompanied the original edition. While the project had part of its origin in Viking Press chief Harold Guinzburg’s invitation to Steinbeck to write an introduction and perhaps the captions for a selection of photographs representing a cross-section of American life, the book can also be traced back to Steinbeck’s own road trip across America, which had already resulted in the popular Travels with Charley, a book in which Steinbeck attempted to reconnect with his native country. Soon Steinbeck became intensely absorbed in the project, …
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Citation: Meyer, Michael J.. "America and Americans". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 December 2007 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=12868, accessed 25 November 2024.]