JACK LONDON
Jack London was born John Griffith Chaney on January 12th 1876, in San Fransisco, California. His mother, Flora Wellman, was the youngest child of Pennsylvania Canal builder Marshall Wellman. His father was thought to be astrologer William Chaney.
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| With his dog, Rollo |
London fought his way up from the waterfront dives and factories of West Oakland to become the highest paid, most popular author of his day. He was a colourful and adventurous character whose early life reads like one of his novels. His exploits were as famous as his work and his eloquence as a public speaker only added to his celebrity.
He married Elizabeth "Bessie" Maddern in 1900, the same day The son of Wolf was published. They had two daughters - Joan and Bessie (later called Becky).
In 1903 London sold The Call of the Wild to The Saturday Evening Post for $750 and the book rights to Macmillan for $2,000.
Jack London's first marriage ended in divorce and he in married Charmian Kittredge in 1905. Their time together included many trips including a cruise on his yacht Snark to Hawaii and Australia.
Jack London died in his home, The Old Winery Cottage, in Sonoma, California in 1916 aged only 40 years old. He'd been suffering from a variety of illnesses including a kidney condition but up to the last day of his life was still full of plans and enthusiasm for the future.
Five interesting facts about Jack London:
1. His mother was a spiritualist and his father an astrologist.
2. He was a fifteen year old oyster pirate.
3. His foster mother was a former slave named Virginia Prentiss.
4. He wrote 1,000 words a day.
5. At the age of 18, he was arrested for vagrancy.
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2 comments:
That background sounds like a publicity person's dream ticket - and with those looks too! Thanks.
Hi Penny, yes I had the same thought. While I was researching him there was SO much great stuff. A short life lived to the max. A very interesting man.
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