Jack London - Made in Oakland

The Soul of California

In this 43-minute podcast, Earle Labor gives an extensive overview of Jack London, starting with his two mothers and two fathers and the hard life that he had as a kid (“poverty made me hustle”). Earle then discusses ultimate vs. immediate happiness and the havoc that it wreaked on his life (min. 4) and also argues that London had a substantial “seeking” drive, which took him to the ends of the earth and to the extreme (min. 10).

We then examine his writing methods (1,000 words a day regardless), his relationship with Sinclair Lewis for plots and the influence of Carl Jung on his “primal” work. After discussing London's health and how his lifestyle impacted it (min. 25), Earle recounts the process of writing the author's biography (min.28) and the shock of opening up a safe on a cold January day in 1975 to see a neat stack of Charmian London’s diaries - all 60 of them. We then close with his reflections on the JL Scholar community (min. 36), Earle’s desert island three and whether film versions come close to the original writing (min. 38).

All through it, Earle demonstrates his nearly 60 years of love for his career as a Jack London scholar, as a great storyteller, and comes off as one hell of a Southern gentleman.

Cast of Characters

Parents - William Chaney - likely his biological father; John London - the "father" who reared him; Flora Wellman, his biological mother; Flora Prentiss - the one who reared him, an African American and a former slave.

Family - Bessie London - Jack London's first wife, with two daughters, Becky and Joan. Charmian London - Jack London's second wife. Anna Strunsky - his true love, who he did not marry.

Next up: Highway 99 - California’s Main Street

Feed your soul. Keep listening.