Letter from Charmian - 1932

March 10, 1932

Mrs. Edith Granger Hawkes,

Fulton, California

My Dear Mrs. Hawkes:

Thanks for your good letter (?), inclosing the article, JACK LONDON, A Brief Sketch of His Life, written for the OVERLAND NUMBER—Jack London Number. I know you want my suggestions in a hurry, and only hope the editor has not already set up the proofs, because I think you will agree with me upon some of the changes I am making. The article as a whole moves along splendidly. I’m going to start right in at the beginning. If you happened to look at the bibliography (the magazine-pub. part at end of VOL.II of my BOOK OF JACK LONDON) you would find that his first published story was 1893, the second, 1894, third, 1895, fourth 1896. Another thing, Jack was utterly discouraged when OVERLAND titled his fine story, TO THE MAN ON TRAIL, “To the Man on the Trail” or something like that. His own title TO THE MAN TRAIL, has a special significance. You have left out the TO—which makes all the difference!

I’m in such a hurry to get this MS back to you that I’ve marked it freely and shall not refer to the smaller corrections, or mere suggestions you might think better. For the items I have scratched out I have substituted facts, like being graduated from Grammar School. Poor kid, he did not, I understand, appear at his graduation because he hadn’t a new suit; and his sister, hear of this, couldn’t find him to help out in that matter.

On p.2, I have made substitutions, because, really, don’t you think they lend strength. P.2 is the one I have marked the most. P.3 I have jotted---I think that cramming two whole years in three months is of great import—to the young reader. I am much interested in seeing Jack presented in a helpful way to the younger generation now.

P.3: You say, “London’s best books deal with Alaska.” There is a great difference of opinion about that, especially in world-wide countries. Frederick O'Brien, who was a notable critic (he book-reviewed for years before his death in one of the biggest N.Y. dailies, and other publications) considered some of Jack's South Seas fiction not only equal to anything else Jack had done, but outstanding in modern fiction. WHITE FANG (companion to CALL OF THE WILD) and THE VALLEY OF THE MOON, stand at head in England and France. THE MUTINY OF THE ELSINORE is widely acclaimed as a sea classic, even so early. perhaps you could begin that paragraph with "Many of London's best books deal with Alaska." I am not, oh, please believe, trying to the arbitrary, in any of my suggestions. I have an idea, dear Mrs. Hawkes, that you'll be glad for some of these viewpoints, and facts.

Please on P.4, I changed "castle -like" to "Big House," because Jack did not have the castle-idea in mind, only a big house of stone and logs, in which to welcome the world of men and women who sought him. He called it "Wolf House."

I like the Braley stanza with which you polish off your fine article. I liked the first, too---in which Braley contributed "He never wrote a ribald note!"

I congratulate you upon your compendium (is that the word?) and am sorry you did not get here that day. Some time in the summer? It's awfully raw here just now, and I'm off to Town for a little change.

I am rushing this to you as quickly as possible , hoping you can connect with the editor promptly; for I think two or three changes I have made will be best in the long run.

Very best remembrances and wishes, from

(signature not visible on letter)

* In a gorgeous short-story entitled THE WIT OF PORPORTUK, Jack presage the sort of....in a big tepee (I believe this is what it says, only can see the tops of the letters) (so to speak) of his own someday. (bottom of the page is missing from the original)

This postcard was obtained from the Special Collections & Archives of Utah State University, Letters to Charmian London, Box 12, folder 11.