<DIV><p>Each working day from January 29 to November 1, 1951, John Steinbeck warmed up to the work of writing <B>East of Eden</B> with a letter to the late Pascal Covici, his friend and editor at The Viking Press. It was his way, he said, of "getting my mental arm in shape to pitch a good game."</p> <p>Steinbeck's letters were written on the left-hand pages of a notebook in which the facing pages would be filled with the test of <B>East of Eden</B>. They touched on many subjects—story arguments, trial flights of worknamship, concern for his sons.</p> <p>Part autobiography, part writer's workshop, these letters offer an illuminating perspective on Steinbeck's creative process, and a fascinating glimpse of Steinbeck, the private man.</p> </div>