Watch Famous Authors: John Steinbeck (1996) : Full Movie Online Free One of the most famous American writers of the 20th century, Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, Calif. He is best known for his gritty portrayals of the lives of the working class during the Great Depression, particularly in the novella Of Mice and Men and the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath. Through period documents, artwork and other archival material, this program explores Steinbeck's life and work.