Inspiration Card

American novelist and journalist Jack London (b. 1876) drew on his many personal struggles and adventures to become one of the most popular writers of his time. He worked in a cannery, as an “oyster pirate,” and as a labor organizer, among many other things. After a harrowing experience prospecting in the Klondike, London turned to writing in order to escape the capitalist "trap" of labor (and to promote socialism). He became successful enough to build his dream home (and radical permaculture farm)— only to see it all burned to the ground. His life epitomizes class struggle, and the inherent contradictions of the “American Dream.”