Jack London

1. Jack London

2. 1876-1916 • Was born to an unstable mother and a father that wouldn’t claim him • Raised by family friend and stepsister • Worked from age 11 • Loved the sea, so he spent most of his time at the harbor • While in his teens he sailed to Siberia • At 18 he rode the rails, living as a drifter • 1897- Left college and went to the Yukon to join the Klondike gold rush • Used this experience to write his stories

3. At 18 he rode the rails, living as a drifter • Saw the raw, painful lives of men and women who didn’t fit into society • Decided to educate himself so he could use mental powers, not physical strength, to survive • Finish high school in one year • Attended the University of California at Berkeley • 1897- Left college and went to the Yukon to join the Klondike gold rush • Used this experience to write his stories when he didn’t strike gold

4. In 1903 he published The Call of the Wild • Became the country’s highest-paid author • Wrote at least a thousand publication in order to support numerous family members • Became the country’s first millionaire author, but habitually spent more then he earned • He often wrote stories just to pay off debts • At the end of his life he bought a ranch in northern California • Began to build his dream house, Wolf House • In 1913 the house burned down, and devastated London, he never rebuilt the house • He passed when he was 40 years old