One of the true pleasures of my life has been the work of John Steinbeck. He was one of the people who turned my life around. I had no direct relationship with him, unfortunately.

I remember reading 'The Grapes of Wrath' in high school in 1983. My family had immigrated to the U.S. three years before, and I had spent the better part of the first two years learning English. John Steinbeck's book was the first book I read in English where I had an 'Aha!' moment, namely in the famed turtle chapter.

One of my favorite things I read was John Steinbeck's journals while he was writing 'East of Eden,' which was so cool.

The choices one makes, not one's blood, determine one's destiny - John Steinbeck