On the rainy night of Thursday, November 16, an overflow crowd assembled in the Pacific Grove Library to hear Steve Hauk talk about his new book, Steinbeck, the Untold Stories. Scott Bauer, Library Director, welcomed the attendees with words of appreciation for the Friends of the Library, the event’s sponsors. In her introduction of Steve, Barbara Moore, Chair of the Meet the Author Committee, expressed wonder at the breadth of his achievements – fine art gallery owner, journalist, and writer of film scripts and plays.

When the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas was being dedicated, Steve’s art gallery mounted an exhibition of art related to the California settings of Steinbeck’s stories and novels. The exhibition was such a popular and critical success that Steve became permanently associated with Steinbeck and Steinbeck’s life story. He and his late wife, Nancy, began receiving documents and artifacts related to Steinbeck, sometimes anonymously, and he was told many stories about Steinbeck, his family and associates, and the real-life counterparts of the characters in Steinbeck’s writings. The title of Untold Stories is, thus, a literal description of its contents.

Steve’s account of the history of the material in his book was accompanied by digital projection of some of the documents he had been given. A number related to the purchase and shipment of guns by Steinbeck, who had received threats on his life and believed he needed a gun for personal protection. Other images showed the settings for the stories and C. Kline’s evocative illustrations in the book.

During the refreshment and sales period that followed, Steve graciously wrote personal dedications in his book for purchasers.