Wife's memoir sheds new light on literary giant

Gwyn Steinbeck, who was largely airbrushed out of the life story of the famous The Grapes of Wrath author, was interviewed at length in 1972 by Douglas Brown, a showbiz correspondent, in Palm Springs, California.

But Douglas died without publishing the work and the manuscript was passed on to his daughter, who in turn gave it to his brother John Brown, who lives in Montgomery. Knowing his pal Bruce Lawson, who also lives in Montgomery, had self-published a book, John asked if there was a way the memoir could be published.

"I realised we had got something quite interesting and took the decision, because it was a bit controversial, that I would publish it myself," said Bruce.

The upshot is the launch this month of My Life With John Steinbeck, which is billed as the story of Steinbeck's 'forgotten' wife and is published in the 50th anniversary year of his death.

Despite bearing him two children, there was a bitter divorce and ultimately they never spoke to each other.

Bruce says many scholars think that Steinbeck based Cathy Trask, the inherently wicked character in East of Eden – the movie version of which was the first major role for actor James Dean – on her.

"This woman has been written out of the Steinbeck history," said Bruce.

"In the standard introduction to any of Steinbeck’s books, there is no mention whatsoever of her, though his first wife Carol is mentioned, as is his last wife Elaine."

During their eight years together he produced some of his best work and it seemed unfair that she had been airbrushed out of his story, and the book allowed this much-maligned figure to step out from behind the shadows of the literary legend and give her own side, he said.

"The biographies of Steinbeck by Jackson Benson in 1984 and Jay Parini in 1994 were written with the cooperation of his last wife Elaine Steinbeck who thought there would never be a challenge to her version of Steinbeck’s life and his relationship with Gwyn as known. This was because Gwyn had died in 1975.

"There is a certain irony that the script has turned up after 40 years, which tells of the interaction between Carol and Gwyn, the second wife, and is, to quote Jay Parini, 'a genuinely important literary discovery.' It also describes Steinbeck’s boorish behaviour with his family and frenetic wartime days in America.

"The book fills a huge gap. It is only fair Gwyn gets a chance to tell her side of the story about her relationship with one of the greatest writers in 20th century America. It is very much a missing lynchpin."

Gwendoline Conger, known as Gwyn, was 14 years Steinbeck's junior. Tall, and a glamorous redhead, she had done work as a film extra and sang in clubs and on the radio, and at first he was dazzled by her and abandoned his first wife. They were together between late 1938 and 1948, marrying in New Orleans on March 29, 1943.

Bruce says after the divorce she never remarried, with her alcoholism being a possible contributory factor, and her single status made Steinbeck very cross, because he was forced to support her from 1949 until he died in 1968.

Gwyn died in Boulder, Colorado, in 1975 at the age of 58.

"My Life With John Steinbeck" is available through Amazon or direct from Lawson Publishing Ltd through www.mylifewithjohnSteinbeck.com.