here's a little something on john steinbeck. http://www.nobel.se/literature/laureates/1962/steinbeck-bio.html

and his novel The Grapes of Wrath eg. like places where it was banned,
http://ghs.bcsd.k12.il.us/projects/Students/banned/grapes.HTM

and a short but well-written article on the why behind the story http://www.beyondbooks.com/lam12/3c.asp
searching the site will also turn up other gd articles on eg. Steinbeck and Social Conscience and other great American writers.