Tag Archives: Jack London

In 1874, an unmarried woman, Flora Wellman, was abandoned in San Francisco, where a newspaper described her as a “Discarded Wife”. Wellman made her living as a spiritualist, claiming to commune with the spirits of the late departed, who spoke to her from the other world. At 31, the poor lady was pregnant and left  Continue Reading »

    The frightening television pictures of the volcano Kilauea erupting on the Big Island of Hawaii have been tragic, as the lava flow wipes out homes. All of our hearts go out to the islanders, who have or may lose their homes as fissures open up unpredictably. I remember, years ago, driving completely around  Continue Reading »

Jack London made two big mistakes during his “Cruise of the Snark” adventure.  Either mistake could have caused London, his wife Charmian and their crew to perish at sea. The first mistake was trust. Roscoe Eames and his wife raised Charmian London, Jack’s second and much loved wife, into womanhood and Roscoe and Charmian were  Continue Reading »

The young Iranian woman adjusts her hijab headscarf, stands tall on her surfboard, and catches a wave rolling toward the southern shore of Iran. It is a shoreline so dry, empty and forbidding, it looks like a moonscape. The woman is part of a small group of Iranian women, who have introduced the sport of  Continue Reading »

The current heat wave in California reminded me of a past heat wave that helped destroy the dreams of one of America’s most prolific writers.   It was August,1913 and the temperature reached 100 degrees in Sonoma County, California. Jack and Charmian London had just completed construction of their new home, located on their ranch  Continue Reading »

On Saturday November 23, 2013, a ceremony will be held in the Jack London Historical Park, Sonoma, California at 10:30AM with a walk to the grave site and some readings of his wife Charmian’s thoughts as well as a poem by his friend George Sterling, according to the local newspaper.

April 18, 1906, 107 years ago, the ground shook here in California in the City of San Francisco. It was an earthquake estimated to be of a magnitude of between 7.5 and 8.25 in today’s measurements.

Fans of Jack London (including us) have been concerned that Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, California was to be closed because of California State budget cut backs. Happily, the park, London’s Beauty Ranch,  has been saved by an unusual agreement between the State and the Valley of the Moon History Association where  Continue Reading »