International Society of Steinbeck Scholars
Mission and History of the Society
The John Steinbeck author society, formally the International Society of Steinbeck Scholars or ISSS, promotes Steinbeck studies through conferences, the peer-reviewed Steinbeck Review, education, and engagement of organizations and institutions involved in Steinbeck scholarship and activities. Members of the Society partner with individuals and communities to foster interest in reading Steinbeck and apply the related knowledge, ethics, and scholarship to make a positive impact on global society.
The organization was founded as the John Steinbeck Society in 1966 by Professor Tetsumaro Hayashi of Ball State University, who edited its first publication, Steinbeck Quarterly, and helped to organize some of the earliest Steinbeck-related scholarly conferences. In 2013 the Society changed its name to the International Society of Steinbeck Scholars in order to include scholars, teachers, students, and professionals, worldwide, who are interested in Steinbeck studies.
Although there are multiple major Steinbeck archives, collections, and centers in the U.S., and events and conferences are hosted by different organizations at various locales, the Society considers the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies its home base for the operations of the Society, including membership management, information distribution, and conference planning, among others. Established as the Steinbeck Research Center in 1973, the Center was renamed in 1997 to honor its founder, Professor Martha Heasley Cox of San José State.
The Cox Center is led by a Director, who coordinates with the Society’s leadership team, elected by members of the Society. The Cox Center has sponsored several Steinbeck-related journals, including Steinbeck Newsletter and Steinbeck Studies. In 2003 Steinbeck Studies was merged with the journal Steinbeck Review, edited by Barbara A. Heavilin and Stephen K. George. The combined journal took the name Steinbeck Review and was published first by Blackwell and later by the Pennsylvania State University Press.
Events
The ISSS sponsors regular conferences on Steinbeck's life and work. We also sponsor panels at major literature conferences
such as the MLA and the ALA. Contact the Center for details.
Officers
President: Kathleen Hicks, Term Spring 2023-2026
Vice President: Kevin Hearle, Term Spring 2023-2026
Public Outreach Officer: Jeffrey Yeager, Term Spring 2023-2026
Graduate Student Representative: Carter Davis Johnson, Term Spring 2023-2026
Membership
The society is supported by its members. All members receive a hardcopy subscription to Steinbeck Review. Each issue is approximately 140 pages and circulates to hundreds of members in the U.S. and abroad. It is published each June and December.
Membership Rates
$45 for Students, Retirees, and Contingent faculty and $50 for Standard Membership.
