Canio’s Cultural Cafe has launched “Steinbeck, In Search of America,” a series of talks, films and more celebrating Sag Harbor’s Nobel Prize-winning writer, John Steinbeck. The series began last month with a talk by scholar Susan Shillinglaw on “Steinbeck & the Importance of Home.” The Sag Harbor Cinema, John Jermain Library and The Church are all participating in this community celebration.
Sunday, May 1, 4 p.m. — Sag Harbor Cinema “Projections” series presents a panel discussion focused on Steinbeck’s work as well as the campaign to create a writing center in Steinbeck’s former home on Bluff Road. The documentary “The Forgotten Village” will be screened.
Thursday, May 19, 6 p.m. — “The Moon Is Down,” a discussion in the rotunda of John Jermain Library with guest lecturer Don Coers who will focus on John Steinbeck’s World War II novel, focusing on the relevance of this powerful resistance story today. Richard Hart, Steinbeck Review editor, will join the discussion.
Coers is professor of English at Sam Houston State University in Texas. He is author of “John Steinbeck as Propagandist: “The Moon Is Down Goes to War” and “After The Grapes of Wrath: Essays on John Steinbeck.”
“The Moon Is Down” tells the story of a military occupation in a small town by an unnamed nation at war with England. A French-language translation of the book was published illegally in Nazi-occupied France by a French Resistance publishing house. Numerous other editions were also secretly published across all of occupied Europe, including Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, and Italian versions (as well as a Swedish version); it was the best known work of U.S. literature in the Soviet Union during the war. Written with the purpose of motivating resistance movements in occupied countries, the book has appeared in at least 92 editions across the world.
Wednesday, May 25, 6 p.m. — Sag Harbor Cinema screening of Steinbeck’s “The Moon Is Down” with Q&A following.
Saturday, September 11 — Forum on “Travels with Charley” at The Church with Steinbeck scholar Susan Shillinglaw. Shillinglaw is an English professor at San Jose State University and former Director of the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California.
Sunday, September 11 — Dramatic readings from Steinbeck’s work, with music and celebration at Canio’s Lawn. Silent auction fundraiser for Canio’s Cultural Cafe, an educational nonprofit.
For information on the series, visit caniosculturalcafe.org.
Staff Writer on Apr 30, 2022