The Incredible Audry Lynch and John Steinbeck Forever
From The Pen Woman, Summer 2019
By Luanna K. Leisure, Santa Clara County Branch
On May 4, Audry Lynch, PhD, received the Delta Kappa Gamma Distinguished Service Award for Professional Service for her tireless work in the area of scholarly research on California author John Steinbeck. The banquet was hosted at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, with Lynch surrounded by family, friends, and over 300 DKG sisters. Lynch has been a letters member of the Santa Clara County Branch since 1995.
Her interest and fascination with Steinbeck began 50 years ago and continues today. While she was attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Steinbeck’s books were missing on the reading list. He was a West Coast son and she had not read his works.
During a summer trip to Cape Cod, Lynch visited a small library and picked up “Cannery Row.” She was captivated by his writing and read all his books straight through. She loved all the diversity in his work and thus began her interest and research into John Steinbeck.
It wasn’t until moving to “Steinbeck Country,” when her husband’s job transferred them to California, that Lynch seriously delved into the world and life of Steinbeck. Lynch attended seminars; took tours; and met his wives, classmates, friends, and acquaintances, taking interviews from all until she felt like she knew him better.
To her husband’s dismay, their home filled with Steinbeck books and memorabilia, now one of the largest Steinbeck collections in the South Bay. “Steinbeck took over my house,” her husband once complained.
It didn’t take long for Lynch to become an expert on this amazing author. She soon was invited to give lectures, some on cruises, and was honored as Steinbeck speaker of the year at Ball State University, Indiana, where she gave a presentation for the students. On another occasion she was the first-place winner in the biography/autobiography category at the 2014 London Book Festival.
Lynch organized her own group-tours of Steinbeck country, educating children, adults and students who earned college credits for a short course on Steinbeck. Lynch also taught Steinbeck in her classes and, as an English teacher at Mission College, assigned her students to read “Grapes of Wrath.”
Now retired from both teaching and counseling, Lynch continues to lecture and make presentations on Steinbeck.
She did not write her first book until after retirement.
“It’s never too late,” she answered when asked about her own books on Steinbeck.
Lynch encourages everyone to write regardless of age.
“If you have the passion, fulfill it,” she said.
Published in numerous professional journals, newspapers, and magazines, Lynch is the author of seven books, including four on Steinbeck. She’s a member of 11 professional organizations, and her awards and honors are too numerous to list.