Jack London (1876 - 1916)

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Jack London was born in San Francisco, California in 1876. His father was a restive astrologer who abandoned the family, and London left school at 14 to support himself. He traveled internationally and worked as an oyster pirate, labor activist, and Yukon explorer before becoming the best-paid author of his time. In 1910, he settled in Glen Ellen with his second wife, Charmian, and focused on building a grandiose home that he unfortunately never completed. London died of gastrointestinal uremic poisoning after years of ignoring doctors’ advice to slow down and stop drinking.

London was a prolific author who wrote hundreds of popular short stories along with his most famous novels, Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906). His commitment to socialism and economic equality is evident in much of his work. London wrote in the school of literary Naturalism, and many of his short stories position nature as important character whose power is absolute. His characters are often victims of circumstances outside of their control and ask readers to consider their own place in the natural and political world.