Going After Steinbeck – The Contemporary Heart of America

The Great American Novel – that mythical beast – was perhaps most poignantly understood by John Steinbeck, whose classic works, like The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, so perfectly captured the heart of American life. Even in his shorter works, fables like The Red Pony, or his raucous comedies, such as Cannery Row, he was always questioning the centre of American society. Here are some modern authors’ pitches for novels that define a country, stories that interrogate the heart of America.