John Steinbeck
| John Steinbeck link (Author) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John Ernst Steinbeck III February 27, 1902 Salinas, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 20, 1968 |
| Nationality | US |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Children | Thom, John IV |
| Spouse | Carol Henning |
American writer and novelist who won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature - and a CIA asset. | |
John Ernst Steinbeck was an American writer and novelist. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature.
CIA
In 2012, the Central Intelligence Agency released documents indicating that Steinbeck had been in their service. The author planned a tour of Europe in 1952 and asked the agency if it needed anyone on the ground. In a handwritten letter from January 1952, he wrote "If during this [trip to Europe] I can be of any service whatever to yourself or to the Agency you direct, I shall be only too glad," "Again – I shall be pleased to be of service. The pace and method of my junket together with my intention of talking with great numbers of people of all classes may offer peculiar advantages." Walter Bedell Smith, director of the CIA, replied and was eager to recruit the author. "You can, indeed, be of help to us by keeping your eyes and ears open on any political developments in the areas through which you travel, and, in addition, on any other matters which seem to you of significance, particularly those which might be over looked in routine reports," wrote Smith. "It would be helpful, too, if you could come down to Washington for a talk with us before you leave. We might then discuss any special matters on which you may feel that you can assist us."[1]
Brian Kannard, author of the book Steinbeck: Citizen Spy, wrote that "previous to 1952, and certainly after, John Steinbeck was an active CIA asset,"[2] speculating that the CIA influenced Steinbeck to produce Cold War propaganda as part of Operation Mockingbird[3].
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