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The Montana Historical Society and its partners, including Carroll College, decided to do a series on John Steinbeck's famous "The Grapes of Wrath" before the downturn in the economy that is faced by the nation today.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Carroll College Campus Center the Society,  the college and Humanities Montana will present a free public program "Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck's ‘The Grapes of Wrath'."

"Unfortunately, this program and the series for which we received a major grant are very timely for the economic crisis we are facing today," Society Outreach and Interpretation Program Manager Kirby Lambert said.

Rick Wartzman, California historian and author of the recent book on which the program is based, will present a riveting story of the censorship and the clash between the classes that existed after Steinbeck's bestseller was published in 1939.

Although President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor praised the book as an unforgettable triumph that reflected the nation during the Great Depression, it was not well received by all and was even banned and burned in several California counties.

Wartzman will talk about what he portrays as the political and business elite, particularly in California where much of the book is based, that felt singled out as the villains in the book.

How that class reacted to the book and those who supported it, offers a fascinating glimpse into a troubled time in U.S. history.

The program is part of the Society's Big Read Program, which is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, that involves Society outreach events across the state.

The first 50 people who show up for the program will receive free copies of "The Grapes of Wrath" as part of the grant. Wartzman will be available after the talk to sign copies of his book.