John Steinbeck's everywhere. He's Question 3 in Liz Kershaw's great Springsteen quiz at 6Music this afternoon, his son Thom is off on a book tour, and he's in this letter in the Guardian Review.
Umberto Eco's tale of Camusian and Shakespearean rodents ("Of mice and men", November 1) threw considerable light on the vexed topic of translation and reminded me of a story told by John Steinbeck's widow when she had returned from a lecture tour of China. After one successful address to a rapt audience of students of literature Mrs Steinbeck was approached by a serious young man who thanked her and ended his encomium with the words, "And we are all great admirers of your husband's book, Angry Raisins".
Gerard Kennedy
Perth

1. Since the story was set in Tokyo when initially reported in The Jerusalem Post and a Yokohama bookshop when related in The New York Times, does that mean we suspect it ever happened or wonder how it kept getting changed? Charlie, you've lectured on homosexuality in front of Steinbeck's widow. Can you email her so we can clear this one up?
2. I've been wondering for a while how well the humour of Engrish works the other way round. Who speaks Japanese? Are there any good Oriental sites listing how Anglophones will hilariously mistranslate Junichi Saga or Helnwein's lyrics?

http://journal.lnreview.co.uk/culture/10112003143807.php