Charmian London
Encyclopedia
Charmian Kittredge London (November 27, 1871, Wilmington, California – January 14, 1955, Glen Ellen, California
) was an American writer and second wife of Jack London
.
. In 1877, after her mother died when she was six years old, Charmian's father sent her to Berkeley, California
. She was raised by her aunt, Ninetta "Netta" Wiley Eames and husband Roscoe Eames, who had no children of their own and were editors of the journal, Overland Monthly. Charmian studied music, becoming an accomplished pianist and developed a good singing voice. She enjoyed horseback riding through the hills at a time when few women rode. Socially and intellectually ambitious, she strived to improve herself, and earned money for a trip through Europe. Her education at Mills College
included lessons in stenography and typing, which served her through her working life. At Mills, she earned her way as secretary to its President, Mrs. Susan L. Mills.
Jack London
met Charmian in March 1900 on a visit to the Eames' about publishing his writings. He divorced his first wife Bess Maddern who had two children by him, Joan and Bess, four years later, and the new couple married in Chicago
on November 19, 1905. Biographer Russ Kingman called Charmian "Jack's soul-mate, always at his side, and a perfect match."
Jack died in 1916, bequeathing nearly his entire estate to Charmian, leaving token amounts to his first wife and their children. Charmian and Jack had no children who survived them. A daughter, Joy, died soon after birth and another pregnancy ended in miscarriage
. Following his death, Charmian committed herself to saving their home at Beauty Ranch by selling publication rights to London's works and contracting screenplay rights with film makers.
Charmian London authored three major autobiographical works about her life with Jack London: The Log of the Snark, Our Hawaii, and The Book of Jack London (two volumes). She also wrote prefaces to his writings that were published posthumously, including Dutch Courage and Other Stories.
Her writings about London are considered by scholars to be an important but sometimes flawed source of biographical information. Clarice Stasz, author of a recent book about their relationship, calls it "an uneven account that omits Jack's illegitimacy, yet has surprisingly frank information nonetheless concerning his personality."
Shortly after her husband's death, Charmian had an affair with Harry Houdini
. A PBS
source cites a Houdini biographer, saying:
Charmian London died in 1955, at the age of 83. Her ashes rest beside her husband Jack under the rock that marks their grave near Glen Ellen, California at Jack London State Historical Park.
Glen Ellen, California
Glen Ellen is a census-designated place in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA. The population was 784 at the 2010 census, down from 992 at the 2000 census. Glen Ellen is the location of Jack London State Historic Park , Sonoma Valley Regional Park, and a former home of Hunter S....
) was an American writer and second wife of Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
.
Biography
Charmian Kittridge was born to poet Dayelle "Daisy" Wiley and California hotelier Willard Kittredge in a suburb south of Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In 1877, after her mother died when she was six years old, Charmian's father sent her to Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. She was raised by her aunt, Ninetta "Netta" Wiley Eames and husband Roscoe Eames, who had no children of their own and were editors of the journal, Overland Monthly. Charmian studied music, becoming an accomplished pianist and developed a good singing voice. She enjoyed horseback riding through the hills at a time when few women rode. Socially and intellectually ambitious, she strived to improve herself, and earned money for a trip through Europe. Her education at Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
included lessons in stenography and typing, which served her through her working life. At Mills, she earned her way as secretary to its President, Mrs. Susan L. Mills.
Jack London
Jack London
John Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
met Charmian in March 1900 on a visit to the Eames' about publishing his writings. He divorced his first wife Bess Maddern who had two children by him, Joan and Bess, four years later, and the new couple married in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
on November 19, 1905. Biographer Russ Kingman called Charmian "Jack's soul-mate, always at his side, and a perfect match."
Jack died in 1916, bequeathing nearly his entire estate to Charmian, leaving token amounts to his first wife and their children. Charmian and Jack had no children who survived them. A daughter, Joy, died soon after birth and another pregnancy ended in miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
. Following his death, Charmian committed herself to saving their home at Beauty Ranch by selling publication rights to London's works and contracting screenplay rights with film makers.
Charmian London authored three major autobiographical works about her life with Jack London: The Log of the Snark, Our Hawaii, and The Book of Jack London (two volumes). She also wrote prefaces to his writings that were published posthumously, including Dutch Courage and Other Stories.
Her writings about London are considered by scholars to be an important but sometimes flawed source of biographical information. Clarice Stasz, author of a recent book about their relationship, calls it "an uneven account that omits Jack's illegitimacy, yet has surprisingly frank information nonetheless concerning his personality."
Shortly after her husband's death, Charmian had an affair with Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
. A PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
source cites a Houdini biographer, saying:
Most of the evidence of their affair, convincingly reconstructed by Houdini biographer Kenneth Silverman, comes from brief entries in Charmian’s diaries. They saw each other over several weeks early in 1918 while Charmian was living in New York, where Houdini was starring in the patriotic World War I extravaganza, "Cheer Up." Charmian wrote that after they saw each other a few times, Houdini made a "declaration" that "rather shakes me up." They became intimate a short time later. She wrote that one visit by Houdini had "stirred me to the deep," and that he apparently felt the same, declaring, "I’m mad about you," and "I give all of myself to you." Throughout, she refers to him alternately as "Magic," her "Magic Man," or "Magic Lover."
As intense as it apparently was, their attachment did not last long. Charmian, the "New Woman" whose marriage to London had included open sexual experimentation, never stopped seeing other men.
Charmian London died in 1955, at the age of 83. Her ashes rest beside her husband Jack under the rock that marks their grave near Glen Ellen, California at Jack London State Historical Park.
External links
- Charmian Kittredge London, brief biography by Clarice Stasz
- The World of Jack London, Charmian Kittredge London
- The Book of Jack London, full text online at "The World of Jack London" website