Paula Priour, a faculty member at St. Michael's Catholic Academy for 28 years, was awarded a Summer Institute grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities. She will visit Pacific Grove, California and participate in the Steinbeck Institute for three weeks this July. "I'm teaching [John] Steinbeck's 'Cannery Row' right now," Priour said in a news release. "It's maybe my favorite book of the year's curriculum, so you can imagine my excitement." The institute will explore Steinbeck's intersecting visions and consider why his work deserves complex consideration in ways that are not usually taught. St. Michael's is located at 3000 Barton Creek Blvd., Austin. 512-328-2323. www.smca.com