Steinbeck Center marks 75th anniversary of “The Grapes of Wrath”

Today, April 14, marks the 75th anniversary of John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.”

The Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, released in 1939, chronicles the journey of the Joad family as they leave their home in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl to seek a new life in California.

Now, the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas has launched a new crowd-funding campaign to raise money for a new oral history project.

The center is collecting stories of modern day Joads and is looking to create a national conversation of social and economic injustice. The center aims to raise $10,000 to collect and produce video oral histories.

These stories will be shared online and at public programs, as part of the 2014 National Steinbeck Festival. This year’s festival will be held May 2-4 in Salinas.

Donations can be made for as little as $5 through the center’s page on the crowdsourcing website IndieGoGo. That page can be found here.

All donors will receive can also receive special mention on the center’s website. Steinbeck Festival tote bags, coffee mugs and posters, copies of the 75th anniversary re-issue of The Grapes of Wrath, T-shirts, copies of the documentary The Grapes of Wrath: An American Journey, and limited edition prints from Steinbeck Festival artist Patricia Wakida will also be offered as incentives.