When John Steinbeck and his wife Elaine bought a home in Sag Harbor, New York in 1955, the whaling village on the eastern tip of Long Island had the essential ingredients for happiness the controversial writer missed after leaving Pacific Grove, California—water, history, and a casual lifestyle, like Cannery Row, that allowed for anonymity. New England whaling had gone the way of the California sardine industry long before the couple’s arrival, but weekend fishing was still good and a Sag Harbor tradition of hospitality to authors, starting with James Fenimore Cooper, survived. That particular tradition is on display again through December 20, 2018, the 50th anniversary of John Steinbeck’s death, with a commemoration of Steinbeck’s life by Sag Harbor’s John Jermain public library, named after a local hero from Cooper’s time. Activities include films, library talks, and a digital wall of remembrance for residents who knew or saw Steinbeck when he and Elaine were in town. (Catherine Creedon, the library director, is shown with Preservation Long Island award recipient Zach Studenroth in this April 11, 2018 photograph by Michael Heller, courtesy of the Sag Harbor Express.)
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