Jack London - Classic Literature Jack London
He was born John Griffith Chancy in San Francisco on January 12, 1876. He grew to be considered by many to be America’s finest author. At least he was the highest paid and most popular writer of his day.
His birth was illegitimate, and his father was most likely Williams Chancy, who was an intinerant journalist and astrologer. He deserted Jack’s mother before Jack was born. His mother, Flora, married John London eight months after Jack was born, and Jack did not learn of the circumstances of his birth until he was in his twenties.
He spent much of his youth in Oakland, California. He had little formal schooling growing up, going only through the 8th grade initially. He was an avid reader and educated himself at public libraries, particularly the Oakland Public Library. He returned to school in the mid 1890’s and graduated from high school in Oakland. He also briefly attended U.C. Berkley, but left after 6 months.
Jack had a wide variety of life experiences, many of which feature in his stories. He was, at various times, a laborer, factory worker, member of the California Fish Patrol, a sailor on a variety of ships, a gold prospector in the Klondike and was for many years an avowed Socialist. He even ran for Mayor of Oakland several times.
After returning from his gold seeking escapades in the Klondike, which almost cost him his life, he could not find steady work. He turned to writing and in 1989 sold his first short story "To The Man On Trail" which was about Alaska.
Finding success as a writer, he wrote articles for the "Overland Monthly" and "Atlantic Monthly". In 1900, he married Bess Madden, who was his math tutor. He had two daughters, Joan and Becky, but left the marriage after three years. He then married his secretary, Charmian Kittredge and they remained together for the rest of his life. They had one child, Joy, who lived only thirty-eight hours.
In 1903, Jack published one of his most famous books "The Call of the Wild". He went to London in 1902 to study the living conditions in the East End and returned to write "The People of the Abyss" in 1903, which was a report on the degradation of the poor. It was well received in the US but criticized in England. Following in his new-found Socialist vein, he published "The War of the Classes" in 1906 along with "The Sea Wolf" "Burning Desires" and "The Road", a collection of short stories.
He was prolific and dedicated. He made himself write at least 1000 words per day. Between 1900 and 1916, he completed over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction. He wrote hundreds of short stories, plus numerous articles on a wide variety of topics. He also took the time to write thousands of letters.
In many ways his works paled before his life. He had been known as "The king of the Oyster Pirates" in his early days, stealing and selling oysters from the bay. His sailing exploits even before his marriage to Charmian were legendary as well. He also put in two tours of duty as a war correspondent, covering the Russo-Japanese War and the Mexican War.
He had begun to purchase land in Glen Ellen, California in 1905 and continued to do so over the next eight years. The combined parcels totaled over 1400 acres. He had done so to escape the confines of Oakland, and had dreamed for years of constructing a ranch.
In 1907, after completing the building of his ship, the Snark, he and Charmia, sailed to the Pacific and Australia. They had planned to sail for seven years, but he had a variety of health problems and they were forced to sell the Snark and return home. The trip was the basis for his book "The Cruise of the Snark".
Returning, London began to pour his energies into this ranch, called by him "Beauty Ranch". While continuing to write, his writing began to reflect more of the simple pleasures of country life. In 1911, he began construction of "Wolf House", his and Charmian's dream house. Just as it was completed in 1913, a fire possibly deliberately set, destroyed the house and his dreams.
He forced himself to continue to write and added to a small wood framed house on the property. He continued his plans for the ranch and expenses mounted. He took little time to relax and continued to drink. Charmian persuaded him to take time off in Hawaii in 1915 and 1916 where he seemed to relax. He also wrote while on board his boat, Roamer in San Francisco Bay.
His doctor had told him his kidneys were failing but he continued his pace anyway. His plans for the ranch included raising prize animals, grapes, collaboration with Luther Burbank on spineless cactus, and developed a pig feeding method that would allow one man to feed up to 200 head. His body could not keep pace with his mind and his dreams and he died on November 22, 1916 of gastrointestinal uremic poisoning.
