John Steinbeck's classic Of Mice and Men was nearly called something else.
The working title for Steinbeck's dark tale of drifters looking for work in Depression-era California was Something That Happened. The author wanted to emphasize the idea that some things transpire without the grand, overarching themes common in literature.
But whether Steinbeck intended to or not, Of Mice and Men contains themes that unify its characters, their desires, the fears and their motivations. A stage adaptation of the novel is now running at the Clarence Brown Theatre. Director Paul Barnes joins WUOT All Things Considered host Brandon Hollingsworth for this extended conversation.