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John Steinbeck has been the subject of seven biographies. After a brief definition of what constitutes a "literary biography," these seven biographies are here divided into three classes: non-literary biographies, full-length biographies (which treat Steinbeck's life as a whole), and books that chronicle an important relationship between Steinbeck and a person who influenced his artistic development. Each biography is discussed in this order. Non-literary biographies include John Steinbeck, Knight Errant: An Intimate Biography of His California Years by Nelson Valjean (1975) and The Intricate Music: A Biography of John Steinbeck by Thomas Kiernan (1979). Full-length biographies include The True Adventures of John Steinbeck, Writer by Jackson J. Benson (1984), John Steinbeck: A Life by Jay Parini (1995), and Mad at the World: A Life of John Steinbeck by William Souder (2020). Biographies that highlight one of Steinbeck's important relationships include John Steinbeck and Edward F. Ricketts: The Shaping of a Novelist by Richard Astro (1973), and Carol and John Steinbeck: Portrait of a Marriage by Susan Shillinglaw (2013). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]