1. Jack London (John Griffith Chaney)
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2. Early Years born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California
Jack’s father demanded that she have an abortion and she refused. His mother later shot herself, though it wasn’t fatal.
Jack was raised in poverty, largely by an ex-slave nanny.
A local librarian encouraged him to read, which had an important impact on his life
At age 13, worked hour days at a cannery

3. Teen Years At 14, he “found” a boat and became an oyster pirate
Around 16, he signed up to hunt seals around Japan
He also tramped around as a hobo and became a sailor
He passed several exams to be accepted at the University of California-Berkley, but had to drop out quickly due to lack of funds

4. Early Manhood
On July 12, 1897, he sailed to join the Klondike Gold Rush
He became ill with scurvy and returned, though the Klondike is the setting for many of his most famous works
He began to write as his “ticket out of poverty”
He started by writing short fiction for magazines
His first published short story was “A Thousand Deaths”

5. Works Most popular works: Call of the Wild White Fang
A Piece of Steak (short story)
To Build a Fire
London’s writing is in the Naturalist tradition – attempting to scientifically show life without sentimentality – a struggle for survival in which man often doesn’t survive.

6. London’s Later Life
London was a socialist who worked to improve conditions for poor people through his political causes and his writing. He also lived in a mansion and strived to make money for himself.
London was also an alcoholic and a depressive
London died on November 22, 1916 from a morphine overdose. It wasn’t clear whether it was accidental or on purpose.