Did Steinbeck Foresee Jan. 6?

The sometimes ugly truth about being a Writer In The World

"The Vigilante” appeared in The Long Valley, first published in 1938

Hi Everyone,

This week, I’ve been reading John Steinbeck’s extraordinary story collection, The Long Valley. I’m not sure how I missed it all these years. First published in 1938, this book contains some of the most psychologically piercing and perceptive fiction I’ve ever encountered. While very much a reflection of its time (the 1920s and 30s) and place (California’s Salinas valley), these tales probe the human condition with the kind of ruthless courage and compassion that few writers today possess. Steinbeck ventures into scenes of naked racism, cruelty, and desire without a shred of sensationalism— even when he literally employs voyeurism to get closer to the human truth.

The daring of one particular story in the collection, “The Vigilante,” will not let me go. On the surface, the grim events described in this narrative belong to America’s distant past. By diving into the psychological currents that stoked those eve…