JACK LONDON STATE PARK, Glen Ellen, CA: A Literary Excursion

The Cottage, Jack and Charmian London's home at their ranch in Glen Ellen, CA

In mid-May, I spent a day at Jack London State Park, enjoying the fresh spring air and reacquainting myself with Jack London's literary legacy. The park had only recently opened after being closed due to Covid. It was a weekday, and when we arrived the parking lot was nearly empty. 

A shaded walkway leads to the Visitor Center

From the parking lot we did a short walk to the museum/visitor center, finding it filled with photos, video displays, books, mementos of Jack and Charmian’s extensive travels, and a peek into Charmian’s personal life--her dozens of shoes, piano, the decor of her kitchen and bathrooms. A friendly docent answered questions and managed the gift shop.

"As a child, Jack was a bright and voracious reader but his early years were spent in work. With what he called “dig,” Jack entered a short story contest sponsored by the local newspaper and won it. He enrolled in school and contributed several short stories to the school’s literary magazine. Later he withstood the pain of hundreds of rejection letters before winning worldwide fame."

Jack London's typewriter. "Jack’s daring explorations provided the fodder for his writing and the fuel for his spirit."

 

Jack London died in 1916 at the age of 40. His grave site, about a fifteen minute walk from the Visitor Center, is on a wooded hillside. A short distance away are the remains of Wolf House.

While I had long known about Jack London and his books, until this visit to his home I had been unaware of the role of his wife Charmian, who, I discovered, was just as bold and adventurous as he was. She edited Jack's work and was an author in her own right. She outlived Jack by nearly forty years, and died in 1955.

"Charmian K. London defied every expectation of the Victorian female. Obedient and chaste? Never. She was bold and free. Soul of a rebel. Kicking aside the convention that women must ride side saddle, Charmian chose to gallup astride. Every bit Jack’s equal in terms of adventure and intellect, she redefined a woman’s place."

Wolf House.

After viewing the exhibits at the museum we followed the path through the woods to the grave sites of Jack and Charmian, and from there to the ruins of their grand house. 

A swimming pool was to be the center of the house.

Built of stone, the remaining walls and chimneys of Wolf House look more like a medieval castle than a private home. Surrounded by towering redwoods, the house would have been an ideal retreat from city life. We climbed onto a platform that gave a view through the open doors and windows and a diagram of the layout, which included a swimming pool overlooked by a balcony.

Remains of farm buildings of Beauty Ranch.
Beyond the fence vineyards climb the Sonoma hills.

After our walk to the grave site and house, we returned to the parking lot and drove into Glen Ellen (a few minutes away) for a delicious lunch of sandwiches and pastries on the patio of Les Pascales, a French boulangerie. When we returned to the state park, we parked on the other side of the entrance for a tour of the Cottage  and of the remains of the farm buildings. During the years before Jack's death, he and Charmian lived in the cottage when they weren't traveling. Because of Covid, only one family group was allowed inside the Cottage buildings at a time for tours led by extremely knowledgeable volunteer docents. The rooms are preserved with furniture and decorations as they were when the Londons lived there. it wasn't hard to imagine Jack and Charmian sitting there enjoying the beautiful view of their garden.

The bed in the corner of the Cottage screen porch is where Jack London died.

View from the screen porch to the front garden and fish pond.

FOCAL AWARD for BIDDY MASON SPEAKS UP by Arisa White and Laura Atkins, illustrated by Laura Freeman

Conversation led by Dewi Reyes of LAPL with the authors and illustrator of Biddy Mason Speaks Up, winner of the 2021 FOCAL Award

Celebrate Juneteenth with the powerful story of Biddy Mason. The FOCAL Award is given annually by The Friends of Children and Literature to a distinguished children’s book highlighting California. This year the award is presented to Biddy Mason Speaks Up, by authors Arisa White and Laura Atkins, featuring illustrations by Laura Freeman. The award ceremony (held virtually this year instead of the traditional luncheon) was a conversation with the authors about their experience creating the book and sharing Biddy Mason’s story, followed by the presentation of this year’s puppet award. 

Puppet of Biddy Mason made by Jesse Kingsley

A puppet of Biddy Mason, created by puppeteer Jesse Kingsley, was presented to the authors and illustrator and to the Children's Literature Department of the library. You can view it and all the puppets from previous years in person at the library.

FOCAL Award Ceremony

The event was sponsored by Friends of Children and Literature (FOCAL), the Friends group of the Children’s Literature Department. Michelle Marot of FOCAL introduced the program. You can view the ceremony on YouTube.

REMEMBERING CHILDREN'S BOOK ILLUSTRATOR ERIC CARLE (1929-2021)

Renowned children's book illustrator Eric Carle, most famous for his book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, passed away this week at the age of 91. In honor of his passing I am republishing my article written after a visit in 2017 to an exhibit of his work at the High Museum in Atlanta.

Picture Book Art Exhibit at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia

Colorful caterpillars greeted me as I entered the High Museum of Art through the revolving doors and made my way downstairs to view I See a Story: the Art of Eric Carle, a fascinating exhibit of author/illustrator Eric Carle’s work. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a children’s classic, was published in 1969. The exhibit shows various factors in the creation of a lifetime of work since then. It is a delight for both adults and children.

The Very Long Train (a wordless picture book)

The art is hung low enough to be at eye level for most children and in the corner of the room there was a bin of Eric Carle’s books available for reading. Children could also play a “seek and see scavenger hunt” following a guide they could take home. For adults, and artists like me, it was fascinating to get a glimpse into Eric Carle’s working method. 

Sampling of art supplies

One display showed a sampling of papers, brushes and tubes of paint and another display had a photograph of him applying the paint to the paper with a broom to create unique patterns. 

Dummy page from Friends

I was particularly intrigued by samples of his artist’s dummies–the label noted that each book goes through many dummy stages.

Illustration from Have You Seen My Cat?

To date, Eric Carle has published 70 books for children, all illustrated with his signature style of art–cut paper collage created from pieces of colorful painted tissue paper. They are amazing. The exhibit at the High Museum of Art ended February 12th. You can see more art by Eric Carle at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA.

WRITING A TRAVEL DIARY: Keeping Memory Fresh

Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park

Before email and texting, people wrote letters and diaries to record their thoughts and experiences. While I have never kept a daily diary, from a young age I have always written a diary or log on summer vacations and trips. These early letters and logs are among my first travel writing. Recently, I rediscovered the diary I wrote when my family visited Glacier National Park on a family camping trip in 1961. My entries note both our activities of the day–hikes, swimming, picnics, a flat tire en route to Waterton Park in Canada--and more mundane issues such as the weather and what we ate. (In one entry I describe making peach cobbler over the campfire. In another, I tell how I burned all the lamb chops for dinner!) You can read a selection of my entries at my travel blog The Intrepid Tourist.  For me, my Glacier trip diary is both a memory jog and a reminder of the importance of writing things down when they are fresh. I never know when sometime in the future those words of the moment might inspire a new story.
 

Monarch Butterfly Eggs in My Garden

Monarch butterfly eggs on a milkweed leaf

Two days ago I saw a monarch butterfly hovering over the milkweed plants that are growing in containers on my patio. Then I saw her land on a leaf, stay for a moment, then leave. She did this several times. After she left and I turned the leaf over I saw several small white dots--monarch butterfly eggs! In a few days, they will hatch into tiny caterpillars. The caterpillars will eat the milkweed leaves and, in a few weeks, turn into butterflies--the amazing process of metamorphosis. No matter how many times I see it, it always seems miraculous.

Monarch females usually lay a single egg on a milkweed plant, often on the bottom of a leaf near the top of the plant. Eggs are only about the size of a pinhead or pencil tip and are off-white or yellow, characterized by longitudinal ridges that run from the tip to the base.

Note: Monarch butterflies are increasingly endangered because of the disappearance of the milkweed plants that the caterpillars depend on for their food. 

Monarch butterfly on a wild milkweed plant in Wisconsin

Butterfly symmetrical painting craft

 

With thanks to the Craft Train for this fun project making butterflies with symmetrical wings.

All you need is black paper, scissors, paint and Q-tips! Every butterfly you make will be unique. Click on the link for directions.

SCBWI Reading List Celebrates Asian Pacific Islander Heritage

 

Look for my book EASTER ISLAND: Giant Stone Statues Tell of a Rich and Tragic Past

Celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage

This month, SCBWI celebrates the voices of and about Asian and Pacific Island heritage. On this list, you will find OwnVoices books, cultural retellings, historical events, modern stories and more. So, grab a book and celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage!

 

Look for my book EASTER ISLAND in the Nonfiction list. 

Giant stone statues on Easter Island (also known as Rapa Nui) reveal a rich and complex history. Few places in the world are as mysterious or intriguing as Easter Island, a tiny, isolated volcanic outcrop in the Pacific Ocean. When Europeans first stumbled on Easter Island in the 1700s they found a rocky, treeless coast lined with rows of giant stone statues, and a quiet farming and fishing community. Since then, this remote island has raised many questions. Who were the first inhabitants, and where did they come from? And why did they create such giant stone structures? Answers to many of these questions have been uncovered by archeologists or found in legends and family histories. This book, illustrated with brilliant color photographs, gives a clear and concise account of one of the most fascinating places on earth.

  

Great Reads. Important Themes.
Looking for the perfect book for your reader? We have that!
Each month, SCBWI features books written and illustrated by its members. And every month highlights a new theme that will foster discussions, activities, and enjoyment!
Storytelling done right.