- The Realist and Naturalist was born in salinas califorina in 1902. He went to stanford university, but only lasted three years. In his youth he worked as a ranch hand and a fruit picker. wrote many books his most famous works include Tortilla Flat, Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, and The Grapes Of Wath. Some people catagorize Steinbeck as being a writer of nateralism and realism. was a model example of the realist and nateralist of his generation. He often wrote about the things that were going on in th late 20's and 30's, like most noteab ....