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Manuscripts

Steven Centanni collection of Jack London, (bulk 1912-1915)

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    Charmian London letters to Jack Harries

    Manuscripts

    Charmian London letter to Jack Harries (1929, July 26) from Paris. Charmian thanks Harries for his letter (Harries was a great admirer of Jack London) and states "I am happy you revere him." She also complains about the amount of mail she has to answer and offers to buy Harries a book in London for his collection. HM 80755

    mssHM 80755-80758

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    Jack London correspondence

    Manuscripts

    This collection consists of 45 letters, primarily from Jack London and his wife, Charmian London, and 15 pieces of ephemera. There are five letters from Jack London to a literary agent named, Daniel Murphy. These letters were written in 1902. There are six letters to James M. Chandler written in 1905 and 1906. Chandler was to act as quarter-master and steward during a proposed round-the-world cruise that was scheduled to last seven years with Jack London, Charmian London, an uncle, and a Japanese servant. There is also a related newspaper clipping entitled: Jamaica Plain Man To Go On 7-Year Tour With Jack London at the end of the collection. There are 16 letters to Benjamin De Cassares, an American journalist, critic, essayist, and poet. In one letter dated November 3, 1912, Charmian tells of her "great disappointment-our second disappointment, and mainly due to a poor physician in the first place" [her miscarriage]. She discusses Nietzsche's Zarathustra and what it has done for her "...at a time of mental and physical collapse. Quite pulled me together-quite played the Bible, in fact." There are three letters to Paul Eldridge, who seems to be a young fan of Jack London's. In answer to Eldridge's letters, Charmian has given a wide range of comment pertaining to Jack's health and some of his writings. There is one letter to Perriton Maxwell, where Jack states "I believe intensely in the pro-ally side of the war...As regards a few million terrible deaths, there is not so much of the terrible about such a quantity of deaths as there is about the quantity of deaths that occur in peace times in all countries in the world, and that has occurred in war times down the past" (August 28, 1916). There are 9 letters to Hunter Kimbrough, Uptrain Sinclair's brother-in-law. Charmian's writing is somewhat flirtatious, as evident in a letter dated March 15, 1928 "Theredearest Hunter!" By the time this is in your hands, I'll be in my own queer little house. I hope to embrace you there this summer, some time. DO come. I send you a kiss---falling downstairs meanwhile if you prefer!" There are also letters to a "Mr. Hage", Vida Goldstein, S.T. Hughes, Bunster Creely and one telegram from Anna Walling Strunsky to Jack London.

    mssHM 82651-82695

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    Charmian London letters

    Manuscripts

    Two Charmian London typewritten letters, with envelopes. HM 83749 was written to Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. Samuel T. Noyes (1918 March 17, New York, New York), and discusses the first World War and speculates about Jack London's possible reaction to the war. HM 83750 was written to Mr. M.L. Herman (1928 September 20, Glen Ellen, Sonoma, California), this letter discusses the bibliographic identification of the first printing of Jack London's "Son of the Wolf" (1900); also, Charmian's intense concerns regarding her own library, the possibility of fire, and the safety of Jack London's books housed at the ranch.

    mssHM 83749-83750

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    Charmian London letters and manuscripts

    Manuscripts

    This material includes letters and manuscripts by Charmian London. Nine of the letters (1910-1926) are written to Margaret Smith Cobb, a California author, poet, and artist, and friend of both Charmian and Jack London. The letters concern family matters, lace making, their mutual writing projects, and health issues; the letters also mention Jack London, George Sterling, and Harry Houdini. There is one letter (Oct. 7, 1911) from Charmian to Elizabeth Maddern London ("Bessie"), Jack London's first wife. Also included are two typewritten carbon copies of a newspaper article ([approx. 1916]) Charmian wrote about British women during World War I; galley proofs ([approx. 1916]) of an article by Jack London, corrected by Charmian; and one empty envelope (June 26, 1917). All the material is in good condition, with some slight damage from normal use.

    mssHM 83700-83712

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    Jack London notebook

    Manuscripts

    Although this was originally Jack London's high school geometry notebook, London used it as a scrapbook after the original use. Most of the notebook pages have bits of paper glued onto them with quotes, lists of names (surnames, female names, male names, etc.), as well as lists of words in their vernacular such as "White Southern Vernacular," "Low Irish Vernacular," "California Spanish Vernacular," etc. Most of that material is typewritten but there is also handwritten material by London in the notebook. There are still several pages with mathematical equations in London's hand. Handwritten on the cover: "Jack London - Geometry" and "A.U.A.-'96."

    mssHM 80607

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    Jack London letter to Elinor Glyn

    Manuscripts

    Jack London letter to English novelist Elinor Glyn about exchanging books and visiting London's ranch in Glen Ellen. The letter is typed; signed by Jack London.

    mssHM 82426