On June 27, 1998, The National Steinbeck Center (NSC) opened its doors. To commemorate 20 years of honoring Nobel-Prize winning author John Steinbeck, the NSC will offer free admission and feature all-things TWENTY. 20% off items from the museum store (excludes “Collector’s Corner”); “Twenty minutes on Main,” tours Monday-Friday; a Thursday talk, “Steinbeck in his 20s.” Each day, the “20th” museum visitor will receive a FREE coffee mug and a photo next to Rocinante in the museum hall.
New exhibits will be featured throughout the week: typewriters in Steinbeck’s writing room; a Baby Flyer replica in the museum store; a lifesize John Steinbeck cutout. Visitors can respond to daily prompts on typewriters in Joyous Garde, a replica of Steinbeck’s Sag Harbor writing house. The Steinbeck bookstore is the new home of a Baby Flyer replica, built by Chris Chase, who is renovating the Western Flyer in Port Townsend, WA. The original Baby Flyer was the skiff for the Western Flyer, the boat John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts traveled on in their expedition to Baja California which is chronicled in Sea of Cortez.
On Sunday June 24 at 3 PM, NSC Director Susan Shillinglaw will lead a book discussion of John Steinbeck’s 1929 novel, Cup of Gold. The discussion will feature candy originating in the 1920’s. Each weekday at noon, Susan Shillinglaw will lead “20 Minutes on Main” tours. At 2:00 PM each weekday, Archivist Lisa Josephs will showcase “20 Highlights” from the NSC collection.
Thursday is the 20th anniversary, and the Center will celebrate with a gala reception from 5-6, honoring those who helped create the museum and long-time NSC volunteers. At 6 PM Dr. Shillinglaw will discuss “Steinbeck in His 20’s.”
The festivities conclude on Saturday, June 30th when we announce the winner of the online contest, “20 Sentences Stories,” featured on our website, www.steinbeck.org. Flash fiction of 20 sentences or less should be sent to tara@steinbeck.org by June 20th. The writer of the winning story will receive $200, have the story published in the Steinbeck Center’s NEWS, and receive a Steinbeck text. Five $20 judges’ award winners as well. One entry per person.
